Bridgeton pioneer., 1899-08-24
OYSTERS NEARLY DUE.
everything Is Ready For Most Successf
Season and Prospects are Good For

Everybody who is interested in oysters
are preparing for the season which opens
next month. September is a month that
has an "R' in it, and oysters come with
the "R,n
All down along south of the county
the greatest activity prevails. The oyster
men are preparing for the work that will
begin with the close of August. Licenses
are being taken out and the Oyster Com
mission is up to it's ears in business.
Up in Philadelphia the dealers are pre-
pairing for the season. 1t will be big
one. There will be more oysters shipped
all over the country from that point.
Speaking of the season yesterday, one
| OF the Philadelphia dealers said:
"Rarely have the prospects for large
| crop of oysters been better than now.
The season has been unusually propi-
tious. There seems to have been no seri
Gus disturbance either by the elements
or by predatory enemies, and dealers
generally look forward to large and fat
supply. Orders from the West are COM
ing in. and [ expect we shall have our
hands full, and need all the oysters we
can get"
A committee of five. representing the
organization of wholesale oyster dealers
OF Philadelphia, went down to Port Nor
ris yesterday to confer with the oyster
shippers of Maurice River to determine
whether or not these dealers, planters
and growers will in future sell to whole
sale dealers in this city, or will continue
to deal directly with the retailers, as has
been their custom.
Some few weeks ago the wholesale deal
ers formed themselves into a protective
association as result of difficulty they
met with in collecting from certain re-
tailers. Among the rules of the associa-
ton it was agreed that all retailers inside
the city must pay their bills on the Satur-
day succeeding the date of sale, and those
outside of the city must pay on the sec
ond Saturday succeeding the date of sale.
This rule does not apply to hospitals,
asylums, prisons. almshorses, homes or
State or city or penal or charitable insti-
tutions, nor to persons in the habit of
paying on demand, providing the men,
Der of the association is satisfied with the
responsibility and is willing to carry the
debt But even if such persons fail to
comply with the demand, their names are
posted on the black list of the association,
and all members of the association must
refuse either credit or spot cash from
such persons. Moreover, no member of
the association is permitted to purchase
or handle on commission oysters or CLAIMS
from any dealer, planter or grower out
side of the city of Philadelphia who sells
to the retail trade direct.
1t is this last clause which forms the
connecting link between the wholesalers
| of Maurice River and those of Philadel-
phia, and as the Maurice River men are
now forming themselves into an associa-
ton similar to that of Philadelphians,
it is expected that they will, take this
clause into consideration for their mu-
| tual benefit, and make similar rule un-
to themselves. With very few exceptions
all the Maurice River men are in favor of
such action.
Speaking of the growing of oysters,
prominent oysterman said:
''The work of caring for the oyster is
very important, for nowadays very few
are marketed from their natural beds, all
or most of them having been, at one time
or another, transplanted from the natural
rocks to other locations. The transplant
ing gives the oyster a better chance to
grow. and under favorable conditions it
attains marketable size two, or even
three years earlier than if undisturbed.
After transplanting, which is done in the
| corinu ho at s,,fo
vas, and refuse, such as sea cabbage,
oyster fungi and eel grass, deposited
there by the tides, is removed.
"Oysters are attacked by a number of
different parasites, and great care is
needed, not only to keep these en- ,mies
away, but to destroy their eggs. Among
the worst of these foes is the drill a
small crustacean, who is supplied with a
tiny rasp or file with which it bores into
the young oyster and sucks out the con-
tents of the shell. Tho eggs are some
thing like apple or pear seeds, and are
found in heaps or punches. Each egg
contains from twenty to thirty embryos.
AS soon as they are hatched they attack
the shells of the baby oysters and destroy
InhuhiViooiO qudHtltiOss Ao oyster
barnacle is another deadly foe. This
little creature gets inside the shell of the
oyster, and fastening on to the upper
valve, breeds there and feeds upon the
oyster itself. Then there are oyster tube
worms which make their tubes of sand
and lime lie upon the oyster until they
become firmly fixed to his outer shell,
then bore their way through and iced
upon him.
"None of these parasites are found in
oysters that are offered for sale, simply
because such oysters are at once dis
carded. But there is parasite which II.
self is considered a great delicacy-the
; oyster crab. This tiny little fellow is
really an assistance to the oyster in helm
ing to obtain food. The only way to get
.;d of tho objectionable paro s;tas - -,