THE SUCCULENT BIVALVE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10193, 21 March 1911, Page 5

THE SUCCULENT BIVALVE.

WHY OYSTERS GO BAD. [By Telegraph—Tress Association/};■ '[■■ " INVERCARGILL, Last Night. A Southland Times reporter 1 to-day. interviewed Bluff oyster merchants in regard to complaints as to the bad condition of oysters sent north. The fact that many consignments had been rejected was freely admitted, but it was stated that this was solely due to unusually warm weather. Special precautions had been taken to avoid storage and to ensure the oysters being fresh; but merchants had appealed in* vain to the Railway Department to carry oysters in insulated trucks such as were used for the carriage of frozen meat. Under existing circumstances the trucks stood about in the sun, and tarpaulin coverings only added to the heat. Every Melbourne shipment save one had been entirely satisfactory, and. in the case of that one, the trouble was caused by the temperature of the cooling, chamber being reduced to freezing point, thus killing the oysters. The Wellington suggestion that the oysters of last year's dredging were put in with the consignments was ridiculed, it being'pointed out that ;it was against, the law .to' hold oysters' iii; a close season: The fishmongers had not been losers over the rejection, as the Bluff merchants made allowances • in • sueh cases,, and .consequently had- made" no profit this year. It was argued that if the Government took over the "industry higher- prices would result, and that any way the Bluff oysters wore got from the free and open sea, over which the Government could claim no monopoly.