Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-03-12

~ I'd YOU ever eat corn-fod oysters %
IL not you have missed the
- finest fruit old ocean bears. For.
and the statement is advanced
or any other country that can COM
pare with the corn-fed oyster in del
icacy OF flavor. boo plumpness and
grace Of figure or ia the soft beauty
of its coloring.
So seductive and altogether delight
fIl ls the Coru-fed oyster that only
with great difficulty IS 30 possible to
write or speak of 30 10 the cold
phraseology of pure science. There Is
just one drawback Co perfect enjoy
meut OF this marvellous shellhsh.
namely. that b cannot be purchased.
T. therefore becomes public duty to
point out how everybody may en-
JOY corn-fed oysters at a smaller exc
pendlture than is necessary for the
Inferior nsh-market variety.
10 D. al this season that Rhode Is
land families which cling TO the good
old customs OF half a century ago
mainly those of the southern county,
and not great many even there
lay in their winter supplies OF oysters.
In some households this is an autumn
duty equal In Importance with husking
the corn. harvesting the turnips and
stocking the cellar with a barrel or
two OF cider made from homegrown
apples. the spring remainder Of which.
turned 20 vinegar VIII serve To- give
zest 20 the boiled dinner
Il is not so easy now as 90 used 10
DE 90 collect your own oysters To put
down for the winter Fifty years ago
an oyster rake was an indispensable
part OF the equipment Of every we'll
to-do south-county farming family
and the day when q was brought into
use was looked forward TO by an the
family
When that time came. an hands
would climb into the roomy wagon and
Journey 90 the shore Of the bay or
one Of the many salt ponds along the
south shore connected with the ocean
bv hreachways The wagon was Of
course loaded 10 the gunwalc with
good things To- eat preparations for
the picnic having been under way for
several days
Arrived al the shore. horses were
tethcrcd and generous armfuls OF hay
thrown 90 them the women Of the
family busted themselves I'm unload
ing and asserting the catahlCs, the
children sought the myriad diversions
the seashore offered and the men set
about the serious business N the day,
the gathering Of oysters enough for
three or four months
Skins could always be- borrowed. and
armed with their oyster rakcs the
farmers bent to the task of scraplng
the oceans bed for shcllfish. lf man
was not prosperous enough TO own
rakc-roaliy something OF luxury
since % came into use so seldom
hc could usually borrow some one
elsc's. and NJ he did not care To do
that DO was possible iu those halcyou
days to pick mp barrel or so OF
oysters between tides
Whc nthe oyster gatherers have re-
turned to their homes the first thing
to do is TO prepare the catch so that
II viii keep and grow lat until called
for Each oyster is laid with the con-
vex side of the shell downward The
object OF this is TO enable the animal
Co retain its liquor without "a continual
muscular strain In keeping It's shell
closed
The oysters may be stored I'm a box
barrel or on the earth floor or tho
cellar The prime requisite is that the
place where they are kept shall bo
fairly cool without danger Of freezing
during the cold weather 20 come.
dampencd burlap Is laid down and the
zhellush are placed ON this, tier above
tier, as they are seen pied APP In n
restaurant window. but without the
chunk of ice ut the top of the pile
when the structure is completed. the
oysters arc thoroughly sprinklod with
cold water ANA covered with another
piece OF dampcnod burlap once "a week
or $50 thereafter Do is tho duty OF some
momhtr of tho family 90 feed tho oys-
t,ra and keep thom moist by surinklng
them with vutcr containing corn meal
Tho theory of the water is that Il keeps
moist tho delicate skin along the lip of
the shell. thereby preventing leakage of
cha. Hfr|H.. ..HfHTr and ..T fIr .r.4I fHlf