The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-02
10, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS!
MAN AND BIVALVE GREET THE
GLAD MONTH OF THE n.
Thousands ana Thousands or bushels or tho
Dwclicrs In Eriny Niud Come TO Town
for the ''Tnbie Delights or MERRY ola
Nights when Jolly Old Cronies Meet"

Thousands ana Thousands OF bushels or tho
Dwellcrs In Briny Mud Come TO Town
for the .'Tabie Delights Of Merry Oid
Nights when Jolly Old Cronies Meet"
Embargo on oysters was raised yesterday.
Tho superstition, more widespread than any
other known In this country, that oysters arc
good only In the months which sport an r, has
kept tho bivalves under the ban for four full
months and the public appetite for these deli
cacies is whettod. Every hotel and restaurant
bill OF faro bristled with oysters yesterday, and
all the street stands hung out large signs In
which tho letter T was made to do duty as q
verb. Tho season, which will last until next
May, came In with q rush.
New York eats more and better oysters than
any other city in the country. Between 1000
and 5000 bushels q day, running $50 oysters to
the bushol, is the regular quantity. These are
mostly the high-grade oysters. Those that
aren't quito go good arc shipped to the West.
For a time this shipment will reach 10000
bushels per day; but within six weeks or two
months tho Western appetite will DO satiatod
to such an extent that IL will demand only
10000 bushels for Its daily food. Besides this,
5000 barrels of bivalvel will go abroad every
week, mostly to England. Formerly American
oysters were not regarded with enthusiasm by
Englishmon. Tho first shipload sent over fell
into tho hands Of the health authorities. The
health authorities sat in solemn conclave upon
those oysters and condemned them to be re-
turned to the deep whence they came. So they
were thrown overheard. More s~hiploads came,
some OF which got past the health authorities
and into the hotels and restaurants, achieving
such an instant and general popularity that
there was n strenuous demand for the Ameri-
can shcllfish, which has endured ever since.
To dredge the oy stcrs, transport them, open
them. pack them for shipment. and distribute
them gives employment to something like %
600 men in and about this city. Some idea of
the magnitude OF the work could he obtained
yesterday from the size OF the fleet Of scows
and oyster sloops. loaded to the fullest capRc-
ity, which arrived early in the morning and
lined all the available piers. 1t was IA good
time for the oyster openers, 'shuckcrs' as they
are called. Nearly all the bivalvc5 sent to the
West from here are first opened and packed.
A good opener can pry out about $500 oys-
tiers by n hard days work, and, MS he gets 81 a
thousand, he is q pretty well paid lnborer.
tiers. After being opened the ~b!Talves are
washed and packed in ice. Under ordinary con
ditions they will keep catable for "A week.
Every day after tho opening, however. they
lose n little In flavor. until about the seventh
day, when they begin 10 gain in flavor. quite
That is one reason why our oysters are su.
perior to those in other cities, except, perhaps,
fresher from the beds. Moreover. New York
pays the highest prices aud has more oyster
connoisseurs than other cities.
All down Long Island the oyster grows in
profusion under the fostering care Of tho state
supervise tho oyster beds and see that they are
RBF sI IS p sSes With %Ri the the sScSnIe6 Of GsE Is S %
and on the north shore of Long Island at Hunt
i nns G,e Bn {ox 0y s"nri Kay Inc cI HSs sPEEIi ysr i nx.,sp,
These are planted. $50 bushels to the acre, and
IN three years they yield about 1000 bushels.
The oysters chief enemies are the stariish, who
seize Thorn in a pcntaSonal embrace and, slowly
able form OF shelldsh which bnres through the
destroys the inhabitant TO keep the oyster
beds as free as possible OF these two pests is the
principal problem OF the oyster business.
ono OF the Big Fulton : MafrR k dSSaiSrs ycst;er35a%;
in briskly. As yet the oyster is not quite nj his
best flavor. Being so far out OF the world, you
Il has come again, and so he really hasn't got
into his best condition yet; but he gives promise
OF tirst,rate flavor. and witt the frst OF the cold
years trade will be more than ever In local oys-
tiers. There will be fewer in proportion from
former years. a considerable importation Of
Lynnhavens from Virginia is expected. This
Is a large, high priced oyster, bringing SO a
the local species the Blue Points are prob
sniI the mot p"TTimr' Ch'sny because ihey are
ing raw, while the larger kinds. such as the
Rockaways. are chiefly used for fries, seal
pos, or soup. The lto~ckaways and Blue Points
give promise OF exceptionally fine flavor his
year.
A restaurant keeper who makes a specially
OF sea food, and whose oyster season opening
slgn is one Of the most conspicuous downtown,
has this to say about the season:
al! the hotels and restaurants will make q
special rush on oysters to-day. I've got in n
big consignment. and they're u fine lot. pe0-
pie are getting so now that they know the DIFF.
erenCe III oysters. / have nifty or more custo-
mcrs, each Of whom has his own particular
taste. and won't have any kind but one. One
man wants G!cnwoods. II he can't get them
he won't take any, and Won can't tool him with
any other variety. Another man won't have
GlcnwoOds at any price, but wants MillpondS. and
II there aren't any in stock oil he goes 10 wait
until u batch arrives. When this ability 10 dis
tinguish between varieties becomes more gen.
ernl you will probably see different kinds of
oysters quoted at different prices. AT present
all high.class oysters bring the same price at
retail, and about the same at wholesale, with
one or two exceptions. We have oysters here
that are just as good in June or July rs in
September, but you cant get people TO believe
1t. That X superstition is toe firmly rooted. -
going about in the region OF the big markets
Yesterday than have hscr seen there for many
u day. They were oyster shuckcrs. Knives
will slip sometimes, and even an expert IL like
ly to lay himself or for a few days with an III.