The Washington herald., 1909-03-21
RAISING BLUE POINTS.
Great south Bay "A Sort of Finishing
school for Oysters.

Oyster farming in the Great South Bay
is as different an occupation TO oyster
farming IN Connecticut. Rhode Island.
and other deep water localities as the in
tensive farming Of the East is to the ex-
tensive farming Of the West.
In the first place. says the National
Magazine. only 5000 acres are under culu-
walton in the entire Blue Point district.
yet from these 5000 acres some 100000
bushels OF oysters are gathered annu-
ally.
Fifteen hundred men are employed in
the cultivation, harvesting. culling, and
shipping OF the product. while some nifty
steam and gasoline boats. not 70 mention
sail and smaller craft, are almost con-
stantly engaged
As propagating grounds the Blue Point
waters are not very successful. but for
maturing purposes they are unsurpassed.
Less than one-sixth of the annual crop
Is native TO the Great South Bay, the bal
ance being made up Of oysters transplant
ed from other wRters-chiehy Long ISL
and Sound and GARDENERS Bay-and al
lowed to mature; an oyster being de-
pendent on its maturing grounds for
quality. flavor. and shape
The total Blue Point product being less
than 10000 bushels year, which includes
opened as well as barreled stock. Il can
be seen very readily that a large proper
ton of the oysters sold under the name
Blue Point-at least five or six million
bushels annually-are no Blue Points at
ALL
When a dealer or reStauTateUT sells an
other oyster for Blue Point. even when
he believes that the other oyster is just
as good, he is perpetrating a fraud on the
public whom he is supposed TO be serving.
The New York legislature arrived at the
same conclusion, for last session # in
corporated the following provision into
the shellhsh bill:
No person. firm. or corporation shall
sell or Offer for sale any oysters OF label
or brand any package containing oysters
fer shipment or sale under the name OF
Blue Point oysters other than oysters
that have been planted and cultivated at
least three months in the waters OF the
Great South Bay, in Suffolk County"
This measure however, is Of benefit 70
the Blue Point growers only in so far as
the sale OF oysters IN New York State is
concerned. and then only when properly
enforced.
About 1910 the oysters ceased 20 propa-
gate I'm the bay and gradually became
scarcer. until between the years 1925 and
1890 they were very scarce indeed. and
proportionately dear. bringing a price in
some cases of s. a hundred. Such fabu-
lOus stories are told OF the great size Of
these oysters. the last Of the old crop. as
they were called. that IF they were nor
well corroborated by the monster shells
that are even to-day occasionally found
in the deeper waters Of the bay they
would seem incredulous stories indeed
Before long the oysters had entirely dis
appeared, but about the year 1893 a public
spirited citizen Of Sayville determined 70
test once more the possibilities Of the
Great South Bay IN the matter OF oyster
cultivation. and with this end in view
brought I'm from Virginia few loads Of
seed oysters. Planted in the bay. these
oysters spawned and increased so rapidly
that all the beds in the eastern portion
thereof were found 10 be bountifully
seeded with very healthy young oysters.
and. the oysters continuing TO seed the
bay year after year. prosperity returned
20 the OysteTman.