THE OYSTER-INDUSTRY. 131 



York to Liverpool have been accustomed to take with them a barrel or two of oysters in the shell, to be eaten on the 

 voyage. Passengers did the same, and occasionally an American living in England would have them sent over to him 

 as a treat. In ISGl, Lieutenant De Broca succeeded in shipping safely a large consignment, by way of England, to 

 the French Acclimatization Society in Paris. With these facts as a guiding suggestion, about ten years ago Mr. 

 George H. Shafier, of Fulton market, New York, requested an intelligent friend of his, who was going to England 

 upon business, to try to introduce American oysters into the Euglisli market, and sent over a dozen barrels as an 

 experiment. They retained their freshness, were landed in good condition, and speedily sold. The agent telegraphed 

 Mr. Shaft'er to forward a larger consignment, which also was sold advantageously, and a regular trade was 

 established. Jlr. 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 

 arc 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-Eock" 

 and " Shrewsbury " are lauded above all others. The native Europenu bivalve is small, rarely exceeding the size of 

 a silver dollar, and is more popular than the American oyster. The Euglish, with whom most of our trade is 

 conducted, do not consider anything larger good to eat, and therefore we were obliged to accommodate this taste 

 or prejudice, if we wanted to find ready sale. The oysters sent abroad, then^fore, are all single (since they are to 

 be eaten on the half-shell, and not cooked), small, and round ; they are selected from the J' cuUeus" or smallest of the 

 thi-ee classes into which our oysters are usually assorted, and have received the trade appellation of " London 

 stock ". 



It is a much more fortunate thing for us that the foreign taste is for small oysters than for large ones, since, 

 hitherto, there has been a slow market and cheap price for cull ens, which now find a ready sale, if clean and of 

 good shape. It enables a man to turn his money quickly by selling his stock before it has lain more than a year 

 in the water, and also to avoid the ever-present hazard of total loss by some storm or other of the many accidents 

 to which oyster-beds are always subject. On the other hand, I have heard many persons complain, with some justice, 

 that the export-business had been decidedly harmful to the general interests of the oyster-trade, because it took 

 away from the beds great quantities of young, which had not yet had time to spawn, as they would do if allowed 

 to remain enough longer to make them of suflicient size for the home trade. This was cutting off not only the 

 present, but the future of the oyster-beds which supplied Loudou stock ; and, as the harm to one bed was indirectly 

 harm to all its neighbors, the general good of the planters was imperiled. 



While this argument, which may be condensed into the ancient simile of killing the goose that lays the golden 

 egg, is perhaps good for limited areas drawn upon with extraordinarj- persistence for the foreign market (Blue Point, 

 for exami)le), I do uot consider that in general it overbalances the greater benefits derived. ISTor do I apprehend, after 

 a careful examination of the matter, that the European demand — even though doubled — is likely to overtax and 

 ruin any American oyster-beds which are properly watched and scientifically operated. 



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 

 Lave most largely, perhaps, entered into the trade. They are known both at home and abroad as "Blue 

 Points", and acquired a reputation iu England superior to all others, up to the season of 1879, when there was a 

 falling ofl' iu their quality and a consequent loss of esteem. 



Besides the "Blue Points", great quantities of oysters from the East river (particularly Eowayton, Korwalk, and 

 Bridgeport), have been shipped, chiefly through J. & J. Ellsworth; a less number from Eockaway and Fire island; 

 and large (juantities from Staten Island waters, under the brand of "Sounds". These last became the favorites 

 abroad during the past season, the "East Eivers" 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 Loudon 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 four bushels of oysters are caught for every barrel exported, since 

 the biirrels (second-hand tlour barrels) hold scantily three bushels. The useless residue is not wasted, but thrown 

 back upon the packer's own bed to grow farther. The number of oysters in a barrel varies from twelve hundred 

 to two thousand ; the more there are the better the English retail-buyer likes it, since he sells them by count. 

 This has had tlie effect of a steady reduction in tlie size of the oysters sent, until now much smaller stock is sent 

 than at first, and more groiuid is given the grumblers than ever lor their complaints against this line of business; 

 but the limit has probably been i-eached in this direction. 



In packing the oysters they are placed as snugly iu the barrel as possible, and well shaken down. Attention 

 is paid, also, to placing the oyster with the deep shell down, so that the liquor sliall not so readily escape. Some 

 kind-hearted persons were greatly distressed, a few years ago, at the supposed sufiering which the mollusks 



