The Oysters 



off the liquor. Bits of shell are removed and the oysters are 

 measured. They are next put into large receiving tubs, whence 

 they are taken, a few gallons at a time, and thoroughly washed 

 in the "cullender." Now they are put into flat quart cans, kegs, 

 barrels or tubs. Ice is freely used after the closing of the recep- 

 tacles. Cans packed along with cakes of ice in sawdust are 

 shipped inland and keep perfectly. 



Cove Oysters, familiar to all who have studied the grocers' 

 shelves in small inland towns, come from Chesapeake Bay, 

 chiefly. These small-sized oysters are steamed before being 

 "shucked"; cars six or eight feet long run from the wharf directly 

 into the "steam chest," and after the steam has been turned in 

 for fifteen minutes, out again, to the shucking shed. As soon 

 as cool enough to handle, the gaping shells are quickly divested 

 of the meats, which are thrown into large cans. These cans are 

 removed, the oysters washed in ice water, then thrown out on 

 long tables where the "fillers" pack them into small round tin 

 cans, which are set in iron racks, and immersed in the "process 

 kettle" where the oysters receive their second steaming. Now 

 they are cooled and sealed, labelled and boxed for shipment. 

 When the business is in full swing, an oyster finds itself hermeti- 

 cally sealed up in an hour after it is taken out of the water. 



September is, in England and France as with us, the month 

 in which the oyster season opens. Oysters are in best condition 

 in November, tender, fat and fine flavoured. The season coin- 

 cides with the R months on the calendar. May ushers in the 

 spawning period, which covers the summer months. During 

 this time the oyster is flabby and tasteless, but not poisonous. 



A writer in the Nautilus declares the North Island of New 

 Zealand to be "the chosen paradise of oyster eaters, for there 

 the oysters are not only delicious, but ridiculously cheap." 

 The rocky inlets about Aukland are built up with masses of oysters. 

 The Maoris come from far and near every summer to feast on 

 them for a time. They are very skilful in breaking the clusters 

 and opening the shells. 



Stewart Island oysters are famous in the markets of Aus- 

 tralia and New Zealand. 



They are large, symmetrical and of rare flavour. Queen 

 Charlotte Sound in the middle of New Zealand furnishes oysters 

 with a decided coppery flavour, very popular where they are 



435 



