Smyrna times., 1937-09-23
STATE OYSTER
SEASON OPENS
1t Is Believed the Supply i'm
Delaware Will Be Plenti-
full This Year
OPENING INDIAN RIVER

With the month of September
here, the general public is concern
ed over the outlook for a plentiful
supply of oysters. So far nothing
tangible has been received as to
prospects at Broadkiln, Slaughter,
Prime Hook and Cedar beaches.
Tongers are ready for the season
which opened on Wednesday, Sep
tember 1. 1t has been the custom
for many decades for tongers to
take oysters from the beds during
the months in which the letter "R"
appears. The season always opens
in September and closes the latter
part of April. All of the months
between September and April con-
tain the Letter "R." Delaware Bay
oystermen tell the story that an
Indian, probably a member of he
Delaware or Lenapcs, is supposed
to have discovered the oyster and
learned of its palatability. 1t is
related that one Gay he discovered
near the bay shore what appeared
to be a stone. In reaching for it,
the oyster, which had its shell open
and was feeding, closed on one of
his fingers. He is supposed to have
smashed the oyster with his toma-
hawk and after doing so placed his
fingers in his mouth and go a
taste of the juice and discovered,
much to his surprise, the delicious
flavor. Still another story is told
relative to the oyster which dates
back to the sixteenth century and
has to do with a minister living in
England named Butler, who is said
to have suffered from dyspepsia
and gout, which he laid to eating
oysters during May, June, July and
August, four months of the year
which do not contain the letter
r" The people are said to have
needed the admonition given about
eating them during the summer
months. That oysters were popu-
lar among the Nanticoke Indians
is a well established fact, because
excavation of mounds in the Indian
River and Indian River Bay sec
tions, show an abundance of both
oyster and clam shells. It is relat-
ed that the Nanticokes used to
place shells in the graves. In the
Nanticoke burial ground, three
miles from Oak Orchard, can be
found an abundance Of shells about
the graves and buried some dis
tance in the plot of land surround
ing the graves. With Congress re
Gently making an appropriation of
$160,000 and the Delaware Legis-
lature a like amount at the session
last spring, for the opening of the
Indian River Inlet, connecting the
Atlantic Ocean with the Indian
River Bay, this body of water
should, with the briny water COM
ing into it from the ocean, once
more abound in the bivalves as it
did between fifty and one hundred
years ago. Within recent years
some beds have been planted, but
they never amounted to much be
cause of the stagnated condition of
the river and bay by the closing of
the inlet by sand bars. Work of
opening the Indian River Inlet, it
is understood, will likely be started
within the next two months. This
is good news to the fishermen Of
that section, who until recent years
made many thousands of dollars
from the sale of oysters, fish and
crabs. Most of the oysters placed
on sale at three inches in length
will have attained the age, it is
said, from two to three years. The
period of growth depends largely,
it is stated, on the temperature of
the water where they are bedded.
is said to be better than
too close to the shore line.