Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-05-17
JERSEY SENDS
SEED OYSTERS.
Planted in Pacific Ocean Because
BiVaIVeS There are Scarce
and Not Good. ,.a a.sa.
INDUSTRY is IMPORTANT

Jersey City, May 17:-Both the Eric
ana LackRwanna railroads have heen
making important shipments of seed
oysters to the Pacific coast of late.
The industry Is a new one, the oyster
beds in the waters of the Pacific not
coming up to expectations. A repre-
sentative of the firm of Messrs. J. &
]. W. Ellsworth & Go oyster dealers
of New York and Keyport, said that
there has been a dearth of oysters
on the Pacific coast for a long time
past and dealers have been obliged tc
send east. for their supply.
For some reason that could not be
accounted for the oyster beds in thu
Pacific along the California coast be-
gan to die ont, no oysters larger thar
the "Blue Points, of the Atlantic
being gathered. Even these, the
dealer said, were not good and il
not gathered at the proper time bo'
came unfit for food. In order to re-
vivo the oyster fishery on the Pacific
coast, the experiment of transpllntint
seedlings from Atlantic waters s,was
tried q year or two ago, and it not
only proved successful, but the vari
ous grades tlirived as we'll there at
here. They grew to q large size and
retained their flavor.
Tho present shipments are the re-
suit of this experiment. The con-
signees in New York control thous-
andsssof acres of beds from which the
seedlings arc gathered. These ar
located of South Norwalk, Conn, a
Rockaway, Princes Bay and nea
Atlantic Highlands. Ever since tie
departure of ice from these waters
gangs of men have been engaged tong
ing for the seedlings. When gathered
they are taken to delivery points,
where the firms feet of eigh
steamers call for them and deliver
them at the railroad piers in jersey
lCitv and Hoboken.
The system of handling this kind OF
perishable freight entails much care
and is quite interesting. The Erie's
| point of shipment is pier 5, north o
Pavonin ferry. Tho steamers are ruI
into the dock aud tied fast to the pier.
Work is begun at once by shovelinf
the seedlings into baskets, which are
carried to the pier and dumped int
new barrels, each of which holds -four
bushels. 1t takes just to minutes two
heap q barrel and prepare it for tho
car. A hole is made at each end o.
the barrel for ventilation and drain.
age.
Refrigerator cars only are used for
transportation. Each of them holds
105 barrels, or 42U bushels. Since tht
shipments began in April nearly 20t
carloads have been sent across the
continent. The dealers representative
said that by the end of this week the
number would reach 200 carloads,
This will make. a total of "a, 00(
bushels. -
The cost of transportation from
Jersey City TO San Francisco is high
owing to the perishable nature of TIL,
oysters. Added to this is the cost O
keeping the ears cool. Each car mus
be iced six times en- route. The charg'
is Sc per barrel. Shipments are ais,
made over the New York Central, blu
the greater number go oyer the Erie
The oonsignor at San Francisco i
the Morgan Oyster Company, which
is said to control the industry on tn,
Pacific coast. The trnnsoontinenta
shipments will be discontinued during
the coming summer, because yarn
weather is a bad time for transplant
ing. They will be continued in TIT
fall, when even a greater number o
carloads will be sent west.