THE SCALLOP. 



539 



In New York markets Rhode Island scallops have a reputa- 

 tion for excellence that may or may not be deserved, for in that 

 city " Oyster Bay asparagus " is a label put on almost all bunches 

 of that vegetable as soon as the product of New Jersey arrives ; 

 all small hard, clams are " Little Necks," although that part of 

 Long Island does not market over fifty thousand bushels in a 

 year, and the quality of tenderness and flavor varies as it does 



The Culling Board. 



with " Blue Point " oysters, a term now used for most small oys- 

 ters, as " Saddle Rock " is for large ones, although no oysters have 

 been taken from that rock in twenty years. So much for a repu- 

 tation ; but the expert housewife looks the different lots of scal- 

 lops over, passes by the white ones, and buys those of a yellow 

 tint. The fact is that the meat of the scallop is naturally a faint 

 yellow, but soaking whitens and injures it. This soaking in 

 fresh water is done to make them swell and measure more, and 

 it increases their bulk by about a third until the frying-pan has 



