THE OYSTER AND THE OYSTEK IXDURTRY. 45 



SHUCKED, OX ICE. 



The process of opening an oyster and removing the " meat " is known 

 generally as ''shucking. " For this purpose the oysters are conrojed 

 to tables or stalls of various sorts in the oyster house. In the smaller 

 establishments this is done by wheelbarrow and shovel; in the 

 larger, the oysters are first taken to a storage room, as described 

 above, and then let down through chutes to the individual stalls 

 of the shuckers. Plate XXII, figure 1, represents a shucking table 

 in one of tlie large oyster houses. The shucker stands on the bench 

 before the table. The oysters fall down the slanting chute to the 

 narrow table along the edge of which are seen tho blocks on which 

 the shucker places the oyster to open it. The shells are thrown 

 througli small chutes in tho table and fall into the trough seen below, 

 whence tlioy are removed hy a mechanical carrier. 



The i^rocess of shuckmg requires considerable skill and strength 

 of hand and wrist. Various methods are em])loyed and several slightly 

 diflering styles of openhig knives. Some shuckers first break off the 

 "bill" or ti]) of the shell with a small hammer, insert the knife into 

 the opening thus made, and cut tlie large muscle holding the shell 

 together. Others scorn surli aid, since it takes longer, an(l by steady 

 pressure force the knife between the shells at the tips or the side. 

 A skilled shucker moves his hands so rapidly the eye can liarcUy 

 follow the mc'emcnts. A heavy mitten is worn on the left hand, 

 which gras])S the oyster, the shell bemg very sharp on the edges. 

 A fair day's shucking is 10 to 12 gallons." If the oysters are iji good 

 condition, "fat," 12 gallons or a little more may 1)0 shucked. The 

 average yield of sliucked oysters from a bushel ui the shell varies 

 greatly with tho condition and Cjuality of the oysters. If the oyster 

 meats are full ajid plumj), they are spoken of as "fat" and the yield 

 is greater thaji when "])oor"; that is, the meat thin, watery, often 

 semitrans])arent. A fair average yield is from 6 to S pints per 

 bushel. 



The "meats" are thrown uito a galvanized-iron measure, which in 

 some cjises is ])erforat('d to allow the draijiage of excess liciuor. In 

 some houses, however, the measures are not ])erforated and are 

 ])artially fUled with water into which the oysters are placed as 

 shucked. \^Tien the measure is fuU it is taken to the measuring 

 window aiid the oysters measured or weighed. Tlie shucker some- 

 times receives a ticket, but iji many cjuscs the ijidividiial scores are 

 marked up on a board by the weigliijig whidow juid ])ayment made 

 weekly. In the smaller oyster houses tlie shells are thrown by the 

 shucker to the floor aiid later removed m wheelbarrows. In many 

 such houses each shucker stands hi a sort of movable wooden stall 

 l)lacod before the table. This stall is IS or 20 inches wide and about 

 waist-high, bemg open at the rear so that the shucker may step in 

 and out readily. Such stalls keep the accumulating piles of shells 

 from encroaching on the space where the worker stands and also 

 afford something against which he may lean while workuig. In 

 some of the larger houses, where the shells are not thrown on the 

 floor, the stalls are used merely to satisfy the shuckers who have 



n Many, however, shuck more than this amount. The. author knows of one man in particular, at Hamp- 

 ton, Va., who opened 20 gallons a day. Since liis score was marked up and pay K'vcn for tins amount, 

 this record Is authentic. 



