The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-01
Should Have Prominent Place
on National Dietary, Biologist
Thinks
THEIR FOOD VALUE GREAT
Nearer in Composition to Cows
Milk Than Do Most Other
Meats; Sea Salts They Con-
tain Useful in Regulating
NutritiOnaI Processes and
Aid Digestion

Some Facts About Oysters of Interest
to the Public.
Association Of Shell Fish Commits
~SiOnerS.)
The seafoOd loving public give bubt
little thought to the fact where the
fish or shellfish come from other than
the waters, somewhere. I have often
had persons ask me if oysters grew
on marine trees. Then again, what an
oyster eats is seldom given a
thought.
We might say that the oyster sleeps
in a pearly bed from 10 to 100 feet
below the surface of the waters. The
oyster did not always live there. From
the time the female (Which lays from
ten to sixty millions eggs a year,
throws off the egg and it becomes a
little swimming oyster, it remains
near the surface of the water; then
the shell forms as the oyster takes up
the lime from the water, until the
weight Of the shell carries it to the
bottom or causes it to come in con-
tact with some smooth surface
(shells, glass bottles, tile, etc.) and
there it remains fixed until the longer
or dredger Scrapes it from it's bed or
home to be sold to the oyster packer
and then on to the consumer.
In order for the oyster to live and
grow it must eat, and as it has no
means Of locomotion then it's food
must b. brought to it. All salt water
contains diatoms, and these minute
food organisms feed on little plants
washed down by the rains into the
streams which empty into the bays,
rivers and sounds. The oyster has
power to open and close it's mouth
from a sixteenth to one-eight Of an
inch which permits the water to pass
through it's gills and deposit the
small diatoms which are carried by
tiny feeders into it's mouth.
Food Value Of the Oyster.
My attention has been several times
called to newspaper clippings, stating
that oysters were Of little food value,
and did not deserve a place on the
list with other commodities. Inevti-
cations generally prove the sources OF
5 such statements are from meat COM
panies, as it is against their interest
) for the public to be satisfied with sea-
foods. We would prefer having the
t public judge for themselves after
I quoting statements from eminent
Biologist on the subject.
DR.. julius Nelson. professor OF
Biology, Rutgers College, New Brun-
W1Chr " ~, III D1O1OS1St VI view
Jersey State Agricultural College Ex'
pertinent Station, says:
e "OySterS are a good food. Oysters
come nearer In composition to .cOWs
t milk han do most other meats. as al
e the -four kinds of nutrients needed are
present in good degree. Oysters have
v a larger excess of the flesh building
: substance, relative to the other Con
S s%tituents thar milk, so we balance
a the ration by addition Of starch.
food and fats when eating oysters
e thus securing a good meal at a cos
that compares favOrably with tina
e when other meats are chosen. Oys
S tiers have some special points Of ad
IS vantage, among which the following
IS % The sea salts that they contain
e are useful in regulating and StimUlat
n ing nutritional processes.
1t 90 They are the tenderest Q
meats and easily digested, and suitabl
is even for persons Of ~sedentary habits.
h (3) In addition to being easil
~safeguarded against accidental con
,e tamination, there is no oyster p~arasit
known, that will live in the huma,
system.
"a Oysters are clean feeders; the
are practically confined to a s~electio
* Of the beautiful little plants known a
diatoms. 1 consider oysters a valu
N able and wholesome food"
Prof. Frederick P. Gorham. As
sociate Professor Of Biology at Brow
as University, and Sanitary Expert {
lv the Rhode Island Shell Fish Commits
sion, says:
rs There is no reason today why "
an should not give the oyster a prom
nent place in our dietary, as a chea]
e. delicious, nutritious, healthful an
pure food product"
ed Oysters in Hospitals.
an The following is quoted from r.
" editorial column of 1.-The Oysterma
,s- and Fisherman"
in "Oysters play an important mart
the diet of nearly ALI duenaa.s