OYSTERS, CLAMS, AND OTHER MOLLUSKS 231 



million bushels. Since that time the quantity taken 

 has decreased because of pollution of the coastal 

 waters and over-fishing. 



Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York 

 taken together produce about two thirds of the 

 American production, although some oysters are 

 grown in every coastal State except New Hampshire 

 and Maine, where the water is too cold for oyster 

 culture. 



Each oyster-producing center is very proud of 

 its product, and usually asserts that its oysters are 

 the best in the country. In some places the opening 

 of the oyster season is a time of ceremonious feast- 

 ing. In Colchester, England, the mayor dredges the 

 first oysters and eats the first one opened. The neigh- 

 boring oyster center of Whitstable also conducts 

 special ceremonies at the opening of the oyster season. 



The development of an oyster industry depends 

 to a considerable extent upon transportation facili- 

 ties. A perishable product, such as the oyster, must 

 be marketed soon after it is taken from the water. 

 Oyster beds located in out-of-the-way places are often 

 unprofitable because of the difficulty in shipping the 

 fresh oysters to market. Such beds are often exploited 

 by canners who are unable to pay high prices for 

 their raw material. For this reason the canning in- 

 dustry is located principally in South Carolina, 

 Louisiana, and Mississippi. 



Nature does her best to keep us bounteously sup- 

 plied with oysters. A full-grown female Atlantic coast 

 oyster produces annually about sixty million eggs. 



