Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-07-20
OUR NATIVE OYSTERS.
PROFESSOR DOANE WILL MAKE
EXPERIMENTS WITH THEM.
he is Head Of Geological Department Of Pull.
man Agricultural CoIlese-Predicts Brilliant
Future for tbe Industry in This District. but
Admits Difficulty in Catching Spawn.


man Agricultural CoIlese-Predicts Brilliant
Future for tbe Industry in This District. bu
Admits Difficulty in Catching Spawn.
Professor r. w. Doane, head OF the
geological department of Pullman Ag.
ricultural College, who has been ap-
pointed to experiment with growing
oysters at the marine biological labo-
ratory at Keysport, has arrived at his
post and begun operations. Keysport
is on Port Orchard bay and is to be
the scene of extensive oyster raising
operations. In an interview Professor
DOane says:
1--WE have had a dam constructed
enclosing small arm Of the bay,
covering about 80 acres, in which the
experiments will be carried on. The
present condition of the eastern oys-
ter industry on this coast is about as
follows: For several years Morgan e.
Co. of San Francisco have been ship
ping young oysters to this coast and
planting them in the warm waters of
the San Francisco bay. Here they
are left to grow and fatten from three
to five years, aud when they are taken
up and marketed the size and flavor
Of the transplanted oyster are superior
to those fattened in eastern waters.
"A few years ago the oyster men of
this State became interested in this
industry, and have had several car
loads OF eastern oysters planted in the
various bays of the State. These have
made q fine growth and developed
into first class oysters, but as yet they
have been unable to catch any spat or
young oysters that were grown in the
waters of the Pacific. The object of
our experiments is not to determine
whether the eastern oyster will grow
we'll when transplanted here, for that
has been demonstrated beyond doubt,
but what We wish to do is to find out
why it does not spawn here, or, if it
does, why we have been unable to
catch any spat.
"Ths experiments carried on last
summer seem to show beyond doubt
that this oyster does spawn here and
that the only thing necessary is to
make some provision for catching the
young oysters when they settle down
and begin their growth. The eastern
oyster differs from the native OF this
coast, not only in size. but in being
uni-sexual, while the native is her.
maphroditic, and this difference is OF
more Importance than would at first
seem. When the young OF the native
oyster leaves the parent it is ready to
settle down and attach itself to some
clean oyster shell or other collector
and begin its growth.
"The life OF the eastern oyster is
quite different. As the reproductive
elements ripen in different individuals
they have to meet by chance in the
water. Soon after the eggs are fertil-
lied they begin their development,
and while they are yet very small, in.
deed so small as to require a high
power microscope to detect, they de-
velop little ella or hair-like processes,
by means OF which the young oyster
swims around in the water and very
soon comes to the surface. They live
in this condition for a period OF three
to five days, the time depending upon
the temperature of the water.
"This is the dangerous period in the
life history OF the oyster, for sudden
fall in temperature might destroy mill
lions of them, and if they are in the
open bays they may be swept miles
and miles from their birthplace.
After few days a shell begins to
form on the little swimming embryo
and it gradually begins to sink to the
bottom. If it is fortunate enough to
light upon some clean surface, such as
a clean shell, pebble or smooth piece
of wood, it soon attaches itself and its
shell grows rapidly, and now for the
first time the young oyster begins to
assume the general shape of the adult.
1t is now known to oyster men as
spat, and it is these young spat, or
seed oysters, as they are called, that
are shipped to this coast for trans.
planting.
"This brief outline of the life-his-
tory of the eastern oyster will serve to
show, 1 think, why it is that oyster.
men here have been unable to catch
any spat, for while they are in the
swimming stage the tide carries them
far from the planters bed, and there
is scarcely one chance in hundred
that the next tide will bring them
back to the same place.
"Our work this summer will be to
try to devise some means for collect
ing these swimming embryos. A car.
load OF the finest eastern oysters that
could be obtained have been placed in
the bay that l mentioned, and here
various devices will be experimental
with. The State Fish Commissioner,
who has general supervision OF his
work, has erected a very commodious