MARINE PRODUCTS. 



65 



the oyster- allowed to cool quickly in the air. It is important that 

 the oysters be steamed well So that there will be no shrinkage in the 

 can, l>u( not long enough to cause them to become crummy. Both 

 the time and the temperature at which the steaming is done seems 

 to have been fixed by experience, as none of the superintendents 

 ied to know what the effect would be if a lower temperature and 

 longer time or higher temperature and shorter time were given. 



The car of steamed, oysters is pushed into the shucking shed, the 

 knickers standing around the car and working until it is emptied. 

 The usual number of shuckers is from five to eight, and they are 

 generally women and children. 



The steamed oyster has the shell partly opened, the meat being 

 easily removed by means of a short, heavy-bladed knife. The oysters 

 are deposited in pans which are hooked to the oyster car. The 

 shucker receives 5 cents for 3 pounds of selects or 3 pounds of 

 standards. The oysters are weighed as received from the shuckers, 

 washed, and placed in cans by weight according to the grade and 

 order. The cans are filled with a weak hot brine (2 pounds of salt 

 to 10 gallons of water) by passing the cans through a dip box. This 

 method was used at one time in other lines of canning, but has been 

 superseded by more sanitary methods, and should be in this case. 



The cans are capped in the usual manner, either by hand or ma- 

 chine, and are then processed in the retort at 240 F., the No. 1 cans 

 for 12 minutes and the No. 2 for 15 minutes. The different packers 

 vary the time a few minutes, but practically all use the same tem- 

 perature. 



The oysters are cooled as soon as sterilized^ and when dry are 

 ready to pack. The oyster is easily sterilized, it is not hard on the 

 can, and there is little loss from spoilage. 



The cans used are the No. 1 and No. 1 tall, or shanghai, and the 

 No. 2 and No. 2 tall. These are given different fills, and here the 

 consumer is the victim. The practice in regard to size and fill is best 

 illustrated by the following price list obtained from packers: 



I'riccs of tJtc various grades and sizes of canned oysters. 



24210 Bull. 15112- 



