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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  FATTENING, 
  PLUMPING, 
  FLOATING. 
  

  

  As 
  has 
  been 
  frequently 
  pointed 
  out, 
  the 
  so-called 
  "fattening" 
  of 
  

   oysters 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  previous 
  to 
  sending 
  them 
  to 
  market 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  

   fattening 
  process 
  at 
  all, 
  but 
  is 
  a 
  device 
  of 
  the 
  trade 
  to 
  give 
  to 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  an 
  illusive 
  appearance 
  of 
  plumpness. 
  It 
  adds 
  nothing 
  whatever 
  

   to 
  the 
  nutritive 
  qualities 
  of 
  the 
  oyster, 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  contrary 
  injures 
  its 
  

   flavor 
  and 
  extracts 
  certain 
  of 
  its 
  nutritious 
  ingredients. 
  However, 
  as 
  

   long 
  as 
  the 
  public 
  desire 
  such 
  oysters 
  the 
  dealers 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  blamed 
  for 
  

   supplying 
  them. 
  

  

  The 
  process 
  of 
  plumping 
  consists 
  in 
  changing 
  oysters 
  from 
  denser 
  to 
  

   less 
  dense 
  water, 
  causing 
  an 
  interchange 
  of 
  fluids 
  through 
  the 
  walls 
  of 
  

   the 
  animal, 
  the 
  denser 
  fluids 
  in 
  the 
  tissues 
  passing 
  slowly 
  outward, 
  the 
  

   less 
  saline 
  water 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  animal 
  is 
  immersed 
  passing 
  more 
  rapidly 
  

   inward. 
  The 
  net 
  result 
  is 
  to 
  cause 
  a 
  swelling 
  of 
  the 
  tissues 
  by 
  an 
  

   increase 
  in 
  the 
  fluid 
  contents, 
  in 
  much 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  as 
  a 
  dry 
  

   sponge 
  swells 
  when 
  moistened. 
  The 
  oysters 
  are 
  not 
  usually 
  placed 
  in 
  

   absolutely 
  fresh 
  water, 
  which 
  would 
  kill 
  them 
  if 
  exposed 
  too 
  long, 
  

   but 
  in 
  fresher 
  than 
  that 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  living. 
  The 
  fluids 
  

   which 
  have 
  passed 
  out 
  from 
  the 
  tissues 
  carry 
  with 
  them 
  salts 
  and 
  some 
  

   fats, 
  chemical 
  exjieriment 
  showing 
  that 
  the 
  oyster, 
  although 
  larger 
  after 
  

   plumping, 
  has 
  lost 
  13 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  its 
  original 
  nutritious 
  substances, 
  

   protein, 
  fats, 
  carbohydrates, 
  and 
  mineral 
  salts. 
  Sufficient 
  water 
  will 
  be 
  

   taken 
  up, 
  however, 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  total 
  weight 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  from 
  12 
  to 
  

   20 
  per 
  cent. 
  The 
  same 
  result 
  is 
  produced 
  by 
  placing 
  the 
  oysters 
  in 
  fresh 
  

   water 
  after 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  shell. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  

   what 
  the 
  oysters 
  have 
  gained 
  is 
  simply 
  water, 
  of 
  no 
  value 
  as 
  food. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  living 
  oysters 
  are 
  left 
  too 
  long 
  on 
  the 
  floats 
  they 
  will 
  again 
  

   become 
  "lean," 
  leaner 
  than 
  before, 
  in 
  fact, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  equi- 
  

   librium 
  which 
  is 
  finally 
  established 
  between 
  the 
  density 
  of 
  the 
  juices 
  

   within 
  the 
  tissues 
  and 
  without. 
  If 
  oysters 
  are 
  taken 
  from 
  brackish 
  

   water 
  to 
  that 
  which 
  is 
  considerably 
  more 
  saline 
  they 
  become 
  shrunken, 
  

   tough, 
  and 
  leathery, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  converse 
  i)rocess 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  plumping. 
  

  

  Various 
  forms 
  of 
  floats 
  are 
  used. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  simplest 
  consists 
  of 
  

   trays 
  8 
  feet 
  by 
  IG 
  feet 
  by 
  2 
  feet 
  deep, 
  with 
  perforated 
  bottoms, 
  these 
  

   being 
  raised 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  for 
  filling 
  and 
  emptying 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  chain 
  

   attached 
  to 
  each 
  corner 
  and 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  windlasses 
  supported 
  upon 
  piles. 
  

  

  While 
  not 
  harmful 
  in 
  itself 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  well 
  in 
  this 
  connection 
  to 
  sound 
  

   a 
  word 
  of 
  warning. 
  Oysters 
  may, 
  and 
  no 
  doubt 
  sometimes 
  do, 
  consume 
  

   pathogenic 
  bacteria, 
  or 
  disease 
  germs, 
  with 
  their 
  food; 
  and 
  such 
  germs, 
  

   transferred 
  to 
  the 
  human 
  economy 
  with 
  vitality 
  unimpaired 
  may 
  upon 
  

   occasions 
  have 
  serious 
  results. 
  Care 
  should 
  be 
  exercised 
  to 
  construct 
  

   the 
  floats 
  in 
  such 
  places 
  as 
  are 
  free 
  from 
  the 
  contaminating 
  influences 
  

   of 
  sewer 
  discharge 
  and 
  other 
  sources 
  of 
  pollution. 
  

  

  In 
  France 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  subjected 
  to 
  a 
  true 
  fattening 
  process 
  in 
  

   inclosed 
  ponds 
  or 
  claires, 
  their 
  flavor 
  and 
  appearance 
  being 
  much 
  

   improved 
  thereby. 
  

  

  