THE OYSTER INDUSTRY. 555 



substantially the same, the difference consisting in the character of the oysters handled, none from 

 the East River and few from the south shore going to the West Tenth street market, which is 

 mainly in the hands of Staten Island planter-merchants. Ill addition to this, a few firms are 

 engaged at wholesale in Fulton market, and three firms near Washington market import oys- 

 ters, opened, from the South. 



All of the dealers on the East and North Rivers occupy floating places of business, known as 

 "scows," "oyster-boats," or "barges," being flat-bottomed boats, made with unusual strength and 

 of the most durable materials, and which closely resemble the conventional "Noah's ark" of the 

 toy-shops and Sunday-school picture-books, except that they have flat roofs. One of fair size 

 would measure 75 feet in length and 2-1 feet in width. 



The deep hold, well floored, serves as a cellar, cool in summer and warm in winter; oysters 

 will never freeze there when the hatches are closed. Over the whole craft, flush with the outside, 

 is built a house, two stories in height. The floor of the first story is the deck of the scow. This 

 is the general business apartment, and gives room for storage, the opening of oysters, and trans- 

 action of business. Above is a loft where are stored barrels, baskets, and machinery. In the rear, 

 usually sometimes in the front end is fitted up an office. The daily capacity of such a barge is 

 about 700 bushels. 



These scows are securely moored, side by side, to the wharf, or rather to the water-wall of the 

 city, and are reached by broad swinging platforms, which allow them to rise and fall with the tide. 

 At the rear end, therefore, they can always be closely approached by the sloops and boats which 

 bring to their owners their stock. Such a barge is worth from $1,500 to $4,000, and, with an 

 annual overhauling and calking, will last as long as a man is likely to need it. There are thirty 

 of these barges, representing at present a value of $75,000. To these barges at the foot of 

 Broome street come the oysters from East River and Long Island beds ; also somewhat from Staten 

 Island and Virginia, but to a small extent compared with the west-side business in these two 

 classes. 



Three sorts of trade are carried on, as follows : (1) Some dealers are also planters and sell their 

 own oysters; (2) Dealers buy from planters and sell; (3) Dealers sell on commission. 



The planting of oysters by the New York dealers is almost wholly by partnership methods, 

 and New York furnishes a large part of the capital which operates beds from Keyport, N. J.. to 

 Norwalk, Conn. It is very rare, however, that this planting is done in the capitalist's name. The 

 arrangement between the New Yorker and his rural partner is usually this: The former furnishes 

 the needed money, the latter does all the labor, and the cost of taking up and the profits are 

 equally divided. The reason why the capitalist's name does not appear, which would redound to 

 his credit as an extensive operator, is, that the beds are usually in Connecticut or in New Jersey, 

 while he is a citizen of New York, and in both those States the law forbids a non-inhabitant to 

 plant oysters. The same law holds even in respect to towns, so that a man must live immediately 

 at his beds if he intends to work them himself. But, of course, no legislation can forbid partner- 

 ship or borrowing money, or hiring out one's services, even if the other party concerned be not a 

 citizen of the State or township. 



A large proportion of the oysters handled by these New York firms, however, are bought from 

 planters who own beds on the Connecticut or Long Island shore, in Staten Island Sound, or else- 

 where. The owner may load up his sloop and bring his crop to the city to dispose of to him who 

 will pay best ; or the dealer may send out his own sloops to the producing- grounds, and, with his 

 business card painted all over the mainsail, cruise about until he has bought a cargo at a satisfac- 

 tory price. The more usual method, however, is to have it understood beforehand that certain 



