FOOD FROM THE MOLLUSCA AND EADIATA. 419 



fill up swamps and pools. The recent law of Connecticut 

 creating a State Commission to sell the deep water 

 ground of the Sound, has served to inspire great activity 

 in securing farms in the sea. Many thousands of dollars 

 have already been realized for grounds appropriated. 



The production of oysters has more than doubled in 

 quantity in and about New York Harbour, Staten Island, 

 and Perth Amboy during the past five years. It is 

 believed if the mud could be kept out of New York 

 Harbour it would make one of the finest oyster beds in 

 the world. The natural oyster beds on the east side of 

 Staten Island are the places whence much of the " seed " 

 for all the various famous kinds of oysters about New 

 York is obtained. 



In Fulton market on the East River, New York, there 

 are several kinds of rude restaurants, which are interest- 

 ing to visit about noon, when merchants and workmen 

 come from all quarters for their dinners. They are 

 popular establishments in every sense of the word, and 

 oysters, cooked in various ways, constitute almost the 

 entire repast. Americans have a special predilection for 

 roasted oysters. The moUusks used for this purpose are 

 of large size, and generally come from New Jersey on 

 the East River. They are placed upon a gridiron, the 

 deeper valve below, and when sufficiently cooked in 

 their own juice they are withdrawn from the fire and 

 served to the customers. Large oysters prepared in 

 this way are excellent, especially when seasoned with 

 a little pepper and a few drops of lemon juice. 



The river Quinnipiac, which is the eastern boundary 

 of the city of New Haven, had long since been a famous 

 place for oysters. These bivalves were also abundant 

 along the shores east and west of New Haven. The 

 Indians had depended much upon them for food. The 

 new settlers did the same also. The banks along the 

 shore are lined several feet deep with shells left by many 

 generations of oyster-eaters. 



For nearly two hundred years the dependence of the 

 people seeking the shore of Long Island Sound with its 



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