THE OYSTER INDUSTRY. 557 



of the wages paid out in the course of a year in the retail trade is impossible. In the cooking of 

 oysters the southern kinds are used, because these are cheapest, a special price being charged for 

 a "stew" of northern oysters. For fried oysters, oa the other hand, which require to be of larger 

 size to make a show, the " box " size is used, and these are generally " Sound " or " East River " 

 oysters. Oysters sold to be eaten raw may be anything and everything of respectable size; but 

 the old brand names, " Saddle-Eock," " Shrewsbury," " Sound," " Blue Point," "Kejport," &c., the 

 popularity of which was won long ago, are still attached. I suppose, for example, that twenty 

 times as many "Shrewsbury" oysters are sold every season in New York as are raised each year 

 in that river. The largest oyster saloons were formerly in Fulton market, and have a world-wide 

 reputation. Now they are rivaled by up-town establishments. 



OYSTEK EXPORT TRADE. One very important featare of the wholesale oyster trade in New 

 York is the export of oysters in the shell to Europe. A barrel or two had often been carried 

 across by steamers previous to an experiment by Mr. George H. Shaffer, of Fulton market, in 

 1870. The small consignment sent out by him reached England in good condition, sold well, and 

 was followed by others, so that a regular trade was established. Mr. Shaffer, however, enjoyed a 

 monopoly of it (and the large profits which at first accrued) only a short time, for his competitors 

 were wide awake, and also began shipping to Europe, so that almost at a bound the exportation 

 of oysters reached its full strength as a profitable business ; that is, about as many were sent as 

 there are now all the foreign markets will bear. 



The kind of oyster required for export is such as has not found favor in this country, where 

 the "Saddle-Rock" and " Shrewsbury" are lauded above all others. The native European 

 bivalve is small, rarely exceeding the size of a silver dollar, and is more popular than the Ameri- 

 can oyster. The oysters sent abroad, therefore, are all single (since they are to be eaten on the 

 half-shell, and not cooked), small, and round; they are selected from the "cullens" or smallest of 

 the three classes into which our oysters are usually assorted, and have received the trade appella- 

 tion of " London stock." 



Because the oysters, native and cultivated, which are grown at the eastern end of the Great 

 South Bay, on the south shore of Long Island, best fulfilled the conditions, they were the first to 

 be exported to England, and have most largely, perhaps, entered into the trade. They are known 

 both at home and abroad as " Blue Points," and acquired a reputation in England superior to all 

 others up to the season of 1879, when there was a falling off in their quality and a consequent 

 loss of esteem. 



Besides the " Blue Points," great quantities of oysters from the East Eiver (particularly 

 Rowaytou, Norwalk, and Bridgeport), have been shipped, chiefly through J. & J. Ellsworth ; a 

 less number from Rockaway and Fire Island, and large quantities from Staten Island waters, 

 under the brand of " Sounds." These last became the favorites abroad during the past season, 

 the " East Rivers" coming second, and the unfortunate " Blue Points" third; and, inasmuch as 

 they cost less than either of the other brands, money was made upon them liberally, while no one 

 who forwarded " Blue Points " received much if any profit, and many shippers lost money. 



The London stock, having been picked out by the planter, is purchased by the shipper on the 

 ground, where he sends his boats to buy daily, or keeps a permanent agent and packer. He culls 

 it a second time, discarding about one-fourth, so that it is estimated that 4 bushels of oysters are 

 caught for every barrel exported, since the barrels (second-hand flour barrels) hold scantily 3 

 bushels. The useless residue is not wasted, but thrown back upon the packer's own bed to grow 

 fuither. The cumber of oysters in a barrel varies from 1,200 to 2,000 ; the more there are the 

 better the English retail buyer likes it, since he sells them by count. 



