Implements and Their Uses 143 



them to be of much better flavor than shucked oysters. 

 It is always interesting to hear comments on the fine 

 flavor of the oysters, when canned " New York Counts " 

 or oysters of a similar brand are served on shells saved 

 for the purpose. It is just as interesting to blindfold an 

 expert in matters of taste, who then possesses the ad- 

 vantage of knowing that he is being tested, and to serve 

 him with oysters fresh from the shell, and shucked oys- 

 ters, in either case the best that the market affords, but 

 both of the same size, in order that his discriminating 

 taste may try to distinguish one from the other. 



It cannot be successfully maintained that all oysters 

 are alike in flavor when all come fresh and unspoiled from 

 the water, or even when all are more or less spoiled by 

 the fresh- water treatment. There certainly are very 

 positive differences in the flavor of oysters from different 

 localities. But probably an unprejudiced observer whose 

 sense of taste is normally acute would be slow to admit 

 after a trial, that a peculiar and particularly delectable 

 flavor characterizes the oysters of every bay, cove and 

 river-mouth, as is locally claimed for each of them all 

 along the shore. 



Observations of this sort may be of little value to one 

 who is fond of oysters and believes that those that he is 

 able to purchase are a little superior in flavor to any 

 others; indeed it would be a loss to him to be convinced 

 that he had been mistaken. But on the other hand, there 

 are persons who believe that they are being given a little 

 the worst of everything, and if such may possibly be 

 cheered by following the line of experiment suggested, 

 it will not have been proposed in vain. 



Returning to the marketing of oysters ; it may be 

 said that the greater number are opened where they are 



