184 American Fisheries Society 



While other foods have so greatly increased in price, 

 oysters can still be furnished at no higher price than 

 many years ago. This is due to the great extension of 

 the artificial propagation, growing and cultivation of 

 oysters. Then, too, the quality of the oysters furnished to 

 the consumer has greatly improved. The improved meth- 

 ods of cultivation, refrigerating and shipping have been 

 a great benefit to the oyster product and they are now in 

 every way more desirable to the consumer than years 

 ago. 



Another great advantage in delivering this product is 

 that the transportation is greatly extended and has be- 

 come more efficient, so that oysters, either opened or in 

 the shell, can be furnished in perfect condition in all parts 

 of the United States and Canada where the railroads 

 penetrate. 



Still another very important feature concerning the oy- 

 ster industry is the fact that the sensational attacks made 

 within a few years upon the wholesomeness of oysters 

 have been discredited by the highest scientific and offi- 

 cial authorities on this continent. Dr. Carl L. Alsberg, 

 Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry at Washington, has 

 given special consideration to this subject and says, "I 

 could wish that the number of dangerous sources of mill^ 

 supply was as small and that the percentage of pure 

 wholesome milk was as great as the proportion of whole- 

 some, safe oysters that reach our tables," and if his opin- 

 ion needed any support it might be found in the public 

 utterances of other men of the highest authority upon 

 these subjects, as, for instance, Dr. Earle Phelps, Prof. 

 Sedgwick, Dr. Julius Nelson, Dr. Frederick P. Gorham 

 and others. 



The prejudice which was instilled in the minds of 

 many timid people has never extended to those persons 

 who are well informed concerning the oyster industry, 

 but it has influenced many of those who are readily im- 

 pressed by sensational statements of "food demagogues" 

 and by the lurid headlines of the yellow press. 



