40 AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY. 



"The oysters brought to our large markets on the Atlantic 

 seaboard are generally first subjected to a process of "laying 

 out," which consists in placing them for a short time in fresher 

 water than that from which they have been taken. 



"Persons who are fond of this animal as an article of food 

 know how much the 'fresh ' exceed the 'salts' in size and con- 

 sistency. The ' Morris Coves ' of this city, (Philadelphia) while 

 very insipid, are the plumpest bivalves brought to market. On 

 the other hand, the 'Absecoms' and ' Brigantines,' while of a 

 better flavor (to those who prefer salt oysters), are invariably 

 lean, compared to their transplanted rivals, as also are the 'Cape 

 Mays,' though from some reason, not to the same extent. 



" The most experienced oyster dealers inform me, that the 

 time for allowing the salt oysters taken from the sea-coast to 

 lie out, varies, but is seldom over two or three days. At the end 

 of this time the maximum plumpness is attained, and beyond 

 this, the oyster becomes lean again, besides having lost in 

 flavor." 



The subjoined statements by Prof. J. A. Ryder are interesting 

 in this connection. They are taken from a letter to Prof. Baird, 

 U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries on "Floats feu- rhe 

 so-called fattening of oysters."* 



"The simplest and most practical structures of the kind which 

 I have seen are the storage and fattening floats used by Mr. 

 Conger, of Franklin City, Md., and now in use by all the ship- 

 pers and planters in the vicinity of Chincoteague Bay. I have 

 been informed that similar structures, or raiher structures serv- 

 ing similar purposes, are in use on the oyster-beds along the 

 shore of Staten Island, New York. 



" It is probably a fact that in all these contrivances they take 

 advantage of the effect produced by fresher water upon oysters 

 which have been taken from slightly Salter water. The planters 

 of Chincoteague call this ' plumping the oysters for market.' 

 It does not mean that the oysters are augmented in volume by 

 the addition of substantial matter, such as occurs during the 

 actual appropriation of food, but only tliat the vascular spaces 



* Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission, 1884, p. 302. 



