Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-01-09
THE OYSTER BUSINESS
HOW GROWTH OF EASTERN OYS-
TIERS HAS DEVELOPED.

UdS yuOWu uC N0uSC " OS UtC LOWCt
Temperature Of the Water-It is Thought
Eastern Oysters Will Not Propagate on
Puget Sound. and That Seed Oysters Will
Have to Be Brought From the Atlantic In.
defnately-The Culture Of Eastern Oysters
by Transplantins Has Been Demonstrated.
However. to Be a Success.
Post-Intelligencer.
The beginning of Eastern oyster
culture in the waters OF Puget Sound
might properly be dated from the
spring of 1889. To-day growers ship
from the beds OF Willapa Harbor from
100000 to 25O,OOO per month of the
most delicious bivalves which find
their way into the select clubs, res
taurants and hotels on the Pacific
Coast and few to the Eastern mar
ket. They are pronounced by cpl
cures to be superior in color and
flavor to the product of the Atlantic,
from where the seed is obtained, or to
the matured oyster Of San Francisco
bay, where the business has been nur-
tured since 1870.
So recent is the history Of the
Puget Sound product that at yet it is
not known to many that Eastern oys-
tiers are grown here for the market.
At the leading grills OF Seattle ques-
tions are frequently asked concerning
the delicacies served and surprise ex.
pressed at the flavor and qnality gen.
orally. Tourists have commented
upon the deliciousness of the home
product and in time, when the infant
beds have been developed to supply
the market OF the United States,
Puget Sound will, for a second time
become famous for its oyster produc-
ton.
1t has only been within the past
year that Puget Sound grown Eastern
oysters have been shipped to market
and already they have supplant ted the
same product grown in San Francisco
bay in the best clubs and resorts Of
California. At the table they bring
better prices and chefs declare they
give more satisfaction than any other
oyster grown.
Thus it is that the industry here is
started under the most favorable pros
poets, and another year, it is expected,
the shipments will have increased to
at least 500, 600 month and it may be
more.
In fixing the date for the beginning
of the industry here 1899 is chosen
not because experiments we're first
made that yesr, but for the reason
that previous tests were not carried
to success. The beds were neglected
and allowed to 60 to waste and it was
not until this latter year that the
business was started for profit and
that any amount Of capital was in.
vested. Since then the proof OF the
pudding has been in the eating, and,
like the salmon business, which in its
beginning, was viewed by many as q
pastime. Eastern oyster culture is
destined to become one of the paying
traffic of these waters and will utilize
very large area of tide lands, which
for years TO come will not be required
for other needs.
Some years ago parties interested in
shipping the native Puget Sound oys.
ter from Olympia decided to try
growing Eastern oysters at that point.
A small order was placed in the East
for young oysters and they were duly
received. Immediately they were placed
on the Olympia fats and that was the
last heard Of them. The beds were
never cared for and the seed was al
lowed to be washed away by the in
coming and receding tides until all
trace OF the spot where the attempt
was made was obliterated and no re.
sults obtained.
A year or 90 later the fisheries de.
partment OF the United States Govern
ment thought to make test Of the
rearing Of Eastern oysters in these
waters and an expert was sent here
with . shipment of seed which he
planted near Bay Center, in the
Willapa harbor. Either the seed was
not the right kind or the ground was
not suitable, or both, together with a
lack of care, and second failure re.
suited. The beds were neglected and
two years later the tide had worked q
complete failure.
From that time on there was q con.
siderable amount of talk about start.
ing the business in . practical way,
but it amounted to nothing until the
spring of the year set down as the
birthday of the Eastern oyster culture
in Puget Sound.
Wallace Stewart, of Willapa harbor,
is the real father of the industry in
this section. Since 1899 several other
beds have been started, but as yet
they have not shipped to any amount.
They are progressing, however, and in
another year will add their share tu
swell the shipments to extended
markets.
For many years Mr.. Stewart ha,
been engaged in the cultivation and
tahlppinp of native ovstars 20 all .