OYSTER-INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 305 



Upon the fire, and touching it, a gridiron is placed, and on this the 

 mollusks are cooked, particularly the roasted oysters, for which Ameri- 

 cans have a special predilection. 



I do not intend to enter into details in regard to the preparations sold 

 at these restaurants, but I must say a word about the roasted oyster, as 

 it is peculiar to the United States. 



The mollusks used for this purpose are of large size, and generally 

 come from New Jersey or the East Biver. They are placed upon the 

 gridiron, the deeper valve below, and when sufficiently cooked in their 

 own juice they are withdrawn from the fire and served to the customers. 

 Large oysters prepared in this way are excellent, especially when seasoned 

 with a little pepper and a few drops of lemon-juice. 



There is no better way to obtain an idea of the habits of the American 

 people than to visit their restaurants, where at the same table are found pro- 

 miscuously representatives from all classes of society. There is a number 

 of them at Fulton Market, and their business is very profitable, some of 

 them selling as many as 10,000 shell-fish a day in the winter season. 

 At Washington Market the stalls are not as comfortable as those nn 

 Fulton Market, and although the trade in oysters is considerable there 

 are no restaurants, for the name can hardly be applied to the small 

 establishments where soup is sold. 



The mollusks are sold in the market both with and without the shells, 

 and a certain number of men are employed by all the dealers to open 

 the shells and take out the oysters. Each man has before him a kind of 

 small anvil several inches long, and upon this he breaks the edge of the 

 shell with the assistance of a fiat piece of iron called a knife, one end of 

 which serves as a hammer ; he then turns the instrument round in his 

 hand and inserts the other end, formed into a blade, between the valves, 

 takes out the oyster with it, and throws it into a dish half full of water 

 The work proceeds in this way very rapidly, and the men earn from $8 

 to $10 a week, according to their dexterity. Some earn as high as $15, 

 but these are generally men in whom the proprietors place great confi- 

 dence, and who are also intrusted with the sale of the mollusks. 



New Raven and Fair Raven. — New Haven, the capital of Connecticut, 

 ranks next to Boston in importance, in the oyster-trade. The business 

 is divided into two distinct branches, the culture of oysters and the 

 various occupations connected with their transportation tothe towns of 

 the interior. 



The principal plantations are situated in the bay. Commencing at a 

 short distance from the head of the greatpier, they extend over adistance 

 of about three miles, almost without interruption ; on the one hand to 

 the southern part of the sandy point, and on the other to Morris Creek, 

 always leaving free the channels of navigation leading to the harbor. 



The maritime ground on which they are established is partially ex- 

 posed at low tide. In some cases, however, the plantations are con- 

 stantly submerged, and are at a depth varying from one to six feet, 

 20 F 



