OFFERING ADVICE AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRANSPLANTING AND BEDDING OYSTERS IN EAST WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS TO ALVAH RAYMOND, IN A DETAILED LETTER FROM BOSTON, DATED MARCH 24, 1844.
[Boston, MA: 1844]. Single sheet, folded to 25 x 20 cm., [2] leaves, addressed to Alvah Raymond, East Weymouth, Mass. on verso of second leaf. Two pages of text, approx. 500 words, in a neat hand. Folded for mailing, some short splits along folds, with the loss of a letter or two, one hole in blank recto of second leaf, a tender copy.
Holbrook states that he has had 30 years expereince in transplanting and bedding oysters and that his vessels are regularly sent to New York, Virginia, New Jersey and Delaware in late February or early March to bring oysters from there for transplanting. He advises Raymond to have someone experienced with the process in order to assure success. Oysters should not be out of the water over 20 days and should be bedded where they will not experience dry ebbs at low water. He thinks two or three thousand bushels are the minimum to make a good start. He quotes prices for New York oysters, which he considers the best, at 60 cents per bushel, while Virginia oysters might cost 35 cents a bushel, while Somerset, Delaware, and New Jersey oysters would be a bit more. He encourages Raymond in his endeavor: "It is a project which has never been tried in New England, and I should be exceding gratified to see the people enterprising enough in East Weymouth to undertake the enterprise." Item #70901
Oysters were a culinary staple in New England in the 1800s, according to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries website: "Oyster houses flourished in Boston and other coastal communities, serving oysters in every imaginable preparation. During this era, oysters were so abundant and affordable that they were often considered working class food." Presumably the demand made it profitable for enterprising people like Alvah Raymond to experiment with cultivation.
Price: $225.00