The Oysters 



"Plumping." — The sorted oysters, duly credited to the 

 sorter, are prepared for market by being placed, for a day or two, 

 on floats or perforated rafts with shallow compartments, which 

 lie in a canal cut in from the beach, but receiving fresh water 

 drainage from the land side. In this water, which is much less 

 dense than sea water, the oysters bloat, and take on the sem- 

 blance of fatness. The gills and alimentary tract are cleansed, 

 which is especially desirable when the oysters come from muddy 

 beds. In actual nutrient value, the oyster loses about 13 per 

 cent. It gains from 12 per cent, to 20 per cent, additional weight 

 by reason of the water it absorbs. 



Herein is exemplified the truth expounded by P. T. Barnum. 

 The American public prefers the bloated oyster, insisting that it 

 is fat. Take an oyster out of its ocean bed and put it into dis- 

 tilled water. It will "fatten" in a short time, and some of its 

 protein, carbohydrates, fats and mineral salts will be found by 

 analysis in the water. 



Left too long on the floats the oysters become lean and 

 tough and lose flavour. So the "plumping" process is carefully 

 timed. The canals must be very carefully guarded against con- 

 tamination, or the oysters will become carriers of disease. 



Shucking and Packing. — Most oysters sent inland are 

 "shucked" in the sheds before shipment. Long lines of men 

 and women stand in the alleys of the shed, each facing a "shuck- 

 ing trough" full of oysters in the shell. Two buckets holding 

 a gallon each are supplied to each. A wooden block with a flat 

 piece of iron set in it is to break the "bill" of the oyster on. 

 A hammer and an oyster knife complete the equipment. One 

 bucket is for "extras," one for oysters of ordinary size. Men 

 with wheelbarrows replenish the troughs at the foreman's orders, 

 and remove the accumulating shells from the floor. 



The shucker may open the shell with a skilful thrust of the 

 oyster knife. This "stabbing" method cuts the muscle, and 

 liberates the oyster with a single motion. The other method is 

 to lay the thin "bill" of the shell on the iron projection on the 

 block and knock it off with the hammer, before using the knife 

 to cut the muscle. 



The shucker empties his bucket into a trough, and receives 

 his tally check for it. The stream goes through a partition, and 

 into the "skimmer," a vat with perforated bottom, which drains 



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