Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-03-01
SOUND OYSTERS.
ONE OF THE GROWING RE-
SOURCES OF THE STATE.
The Business Capable of Great Ex-
the BesI on the Pacific Coast
Eastern Oysters May Be Success.
fully Trnnspiamted.

ing industries OF the Sound country,
and we will eventually be depended
upon ro supply the entire Northwest
with that succulent bivalve. But lit
tie is being done at present toward
| the cultivation of oysters in this dis
trict. Growers are awaiting the deci-
sion upon the tide-land question.
"The oystermen favor State owner
ship of the tide lands" said he, "and
also closed season against the taking
OF oysters, so that they may have a
chance to breed and grow. The closed
season should extend from April to
September l, as the oysters are then
young and also soft and full OF milky
juice"
Mr.. Fulton was recently in the en-
ploy OF the Puget Sound Oyster Com
pany, OF Tacoma, and was engaged to
make experiments in oyster-growing
in Vaughn bay. He says they
planted five barrels of oysters there
some time ago and left no one to
guard them, so when he returned the
oysters were all gone, and he believes
they must have been stolen. Some of
the members Of the company were Of
the opinion that they sank in the
mud; but," said Mr.. Fulton, "when
a man can walk upon the land while
the tide is out there is not much dam
ger of an oyster sinking in such
place"
Mr.. Fulton has been ON the Sound
for long time. He was formerly in
the oyster business in England. 81
picked up oysters on the Tacoma tide
flats fifteen years ago." said he, "near
where the Tacoma & st. Paul mills
now stand; there are none there now
because they have been gathered up or
driven away by sawdust and the sew
erage water which is very detrimental
to their propagation. However, the
Tacoma tide flats east Of the ST. Paul
& Tacoma mills are just as good land
as can be found on Puget Sound for
oyster raising, and if the tide-land
question is amicably and favorably
settled we will no doubt see the flats
covered with oyster beds before many
years. There seems to be prevailing
opinion that oysters can be raised on
Puget Sound only at Olympia and
places above Seattle, but this is en-
tirely erroneous. If oysters were
planted on Tacoma flats to-day, and
given two years in which to grow, we
would equal any other point on the
Sound in production"
"Most of the oysters now used in
the Northwest come from Willapa
Harbor, Olympia, Dogfsh Bay, Sand
wich and Salmon Bay. The three last
named places are below Seattle. The
Dogfsh Bay and Sandwich oysters
are whittier and better than the others.
Puget Sound oysters grow larger
and mature better than those OF
Willapa Harbor, because there is too
much mineral in the water of the lat
ter place. If the Willapa oysters
we're brought here and properly cared
for they would be twice as large as
they now are. The tide lands of
Puget Sound are richer and furnish
more nourishment.
"The oyster business OF Olympia is
controlled by Joe Gale and others
who settled there long time ago and
now lay claim to the land.
Hoods Canal is also an excellent
place to grow oysters.
Portland now uses about so sacks
of oysters weekly, which are furnished
by Horr of Olympia. and also by
Willapa parties.
"The oysters of Puget Sound are
far better than those raised in Cali
fornia.
"There is double the amount OF
oyster land on Puget Sound that there
is on Chesapeake bay, and oyster
sprat, or small seed oysters, when
brought here from the East and trans
planted, will, with good care, be a,
large and equal the Eastern oyster
in flavor and tenderness.
"As to the clam supply, it will also
need protection in time to come" said
he. For a distance of 16 mile.
around Tacoma they are already very
scarce. Five years ago the price o
clans was $l.5O per sack, and the!
now bring 1925 per sack. Portland
uses about 500 sacks OF clans pc
week. Of course you know, the reason
we eat so few clans is because W.
have something else besides clam
occasionally"
"The people of the State have al
ways boasted of the wealth of minera
coal and fisheries, but they seem t
have forgotten what a rich gift the
have in the unpretentious clam an
the humble oyster that find hom
in the thousands of acres OF tide land
upon our long Coast.
How Many Strokes OF the Razor
A Chester, (Pa.) man, who ws
anxious to know how many strokes
Il the razor barber made in Shawn
. him counted them aud was quite su
). prised to find what a contract it WI
to remove the hair from his cuticl
The work of lathering the customer
Roman mug wasn't included in Il
, enumeration, the counting not /
-:,;,o ,,pt;l tho royor frosh