Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07

Harvey brothers in Washington during Civil
War days, when Federal spiders lined the
oyster bar of the famous restaurant by day and
night. President Lincoln was fond of this
delicacy.
Besides water, protein, fat and ash, found
in all meat and food fish, the oyster contains
carbohydrates tstarches and sugars) to the
extent OF per cent. When it comes to nutri-
tive value, quart of oysters is equal to q
quart of milk fresh Goldfish to the amount of
two pounds pound of bread or three-fourths
of pound of beef. Seasoned with salt and
pepper. hot sauces and relishes of one kind or
another oysters are fine appetizer
The popularity of the oyster as food Is re-
sponsible for the great interest taken in its
cultivation. Because of its popularity, the oys-
ter has been ruthleSsly sought by man. There
is way of telling what the supply is going
to be from year to year. Recently the supply
has been dwindling at an alarming rate. Most
OF the areas, like that of the Chesapeake Bay
are open areas; any one who wishes to fish
for them there may do So
As rule, oyStermen are anxious and willing
to cooperate with Federal and State conserva-
tion authorities to the end that there may be
more oysters at the ends of their tongs this
year than last More oysters mean more profits
for them.
TN THE United States oyster fishing is car
ried on from Maine to Texas on the At
lantic Coast and, to some extent, in San Fran
cisco Bay and the coastal waters of Oregon and
Washington. The chief Eastern markets for
oysters are Baltimore, Md; Biloxi, Miss, and
New Orleans la. Louisiana stands next to
Virginia and Maryland in oyster production.
South Carolina also vies with these States from
the standpoint of public beds. Connecticut,
New Jersey and New York supply great many
oysters TO the public market from private beds.
Not quite one-hah of the industry Is in the
hands of private individuals and corporations.
The Dominion of Canada also produces oys-
tiers. Its chief sources of supply are the Gulf
OF st. Lawrence and British Columbia. Last
available figures from the Dominion (lO26)
give the output there as 5,eO3 ITO pounds with
value of $164. l0s.
The United States in 1923 produced M
proximately 1888 600 pounds of oyster meat,
valued at $l7,254 900.
Close study of the oyster and its environ
merts has done much to assist in improving
the cultural methods of increasing the supply
OF the btvalve, but science has not yet reached
the point where it can say We will guarantee
so many oysters this year and many next
year Perhaps some day it will be in a posi-
ton to do so. But before that time arrives
many problems connected with the artificial
culture Of the oyster viii have to be solved. For
instance, methods of production of larvae ready
to attach themselves to substances for growth
VIII have to be greatly improved. The care Of
the oyster after it has attached itself Is easy
under modern cultural methods.
ONE of the primary purposes of the studies
now being carried on by the United States
Bureau of Fisheries in New York State and
Connecticut is to determine q perfect method
OF artificial propagation to which oysters can
be brought from the egg state to maturity in
sufficiently large quantities to make the under
taking commercially profitable
Where oysters are raised for the market each
farmer" as a rule, has his area marked of by
buoys. Here the FISHERMAN busies himself the
year round, just as does the dirt farmer of the
prairies. He prepares his oyster seed bed plants
1t and harvests it in the Fall
He is now working hard to be ready for the
demand which is sure to come when those
months Of the year with "R" in them begin 20
appear on the calendar.