Gilpin observer., 1912-08-29
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happens that pearls are found attached to the in
surface of the shell. This position inter
feres with the symmetry of the pearl that
when 1t is taken out of the shell it is fat one
side, making what is known as 'perle bouton."
The attached pearls not always of inferior
quality but are often highly valued. The world
renowned Southern Cross" which valued at
10000 by the company to which 1t belonged, was
found at Cossack, Western Australia, attached to
the central part of the inside of a shell.
When once the nature of pearls was understood,
it was but natural that many experiments were
made to produce the precious objects at Will. In
fact much attention has been paid to this very
problem by scientific men, and they are still at
work upon it.
1t is well known that Iinnaeus the father of
natural history claimed that pearls could be pro-
cured by piercing holes in the shell of an oyster
with fine auger. making a small wound and
afterwards parking" the oysters for many years
But his suggestions do seem to have been
clearly understood and one has been able to
pursue his method successfully. The Chinese as
is well known have been specially successful in
raising pearls by inserting grains of clay between
the shell and the thin outer membrane which
covers the soft body of the freshwater mussel,
but the best of these are of very inferior quality
and are valuable merely as curios
At the international Fisheries exhibition held
IN Berlin in 1880 some pearls were shown which
had been cultivated In Germany. From looking
at these one could that the plain relief might
be covered with nacreous substance, but the re-
suit was of little value. Mr. Saville Kent late
naturalist to the government of Queensland and
to that of Western Australia undertook the same
experiment with the large pearl-oyster and a
gentleman on Thursday island tried inserting
shot through a hole in the shell
The most important of such experiments are
probably those of DIR. Louis Boutan of Paris. who
succeeded some seven years ago in producing
pearls In the abalone shell. The public was nat
urally greatly interested and the newspapers in
Europe and America applauded his success and
called 1t great discovery
1t may perhaps come surprise to MANY that
before DR.. Boutans attempts. a very extensive
and successful system of pearl-oyster cultivation
had been carried on ip Japan by Mr.. Mil<jmoto
and culture pearls" had not only been produced
but placed regularly on the market Even at the
present day, 1t may be claimed, that this Ia the
only pearloyster farm In the world which under.
takes the extensive cultivation of the precious
mollusc and produces culture pearls" on n com.
mercial scale An account of the successful enter
prise may, therefore, be not wholly devoid of in.
terest
At the Third National Industrial exhibition
heid In Tokyo in 1890, Mr.. Mikimoto exhibited in
the aquarium OF fisheries section some living
specimens of the pearoyster This made him ac.
qualnted with DIR. Mtsukuri. professor of zoology
Mt the Imperial university, who first suggested TO
him the possibility OF cultivating pearloysters
ana OF making them produce pearls by the use of
proper stimuli. Being deeply Interested In tho
subject. Milsimoto went afterwards to the marina
biological station Of the Imperial university Mt
Visaki where the professor was teaching and