The Rise And Decline Of The Ol^mpia Oyster 



beds for the cultivation of oysters? 



At first the oysters vv^ere in abundant supply as nature 

 had provided them. It soon became apparent that in order 

 that the supply be continued, a system of taking up and 

 re-planting had to be followed. Even in those days it took 

 four years to grow an oyster. The beds were worked so 

 that a crop would be available each year. Oyster growers 

 had made observations as to where the heaviest sets of 

 seed took place. Also, that new clean shell, put on the 

 seed ground in June or early July, during the spawning 

 season, was particularly suitable for seed to attach to; 

 in fact, much better than old, dirty shell, mussels or 

 barnacles. So, the shell from the opening houses was 

 saved and then taken back on the beds and spread on 

 higher levels for seed, and this greatly increased the seed 

 supply. 



INCEPTION OF A SYSTEM OF DIKING. 



By the year 1900 the oyster growers became alive to 

 the value of the Olym.pia Oyster industry and with opti- 

 mism they began to think in terms of extending the 

 natural oyster beds. Realizing the im.portance of catching 

 more seed in order to do this, observations as to what 

 conditions were most suitable for seed setting were being 

 made. An oyster grower in Sv/indle Cove, Oakland Bay, 

 by the name of Anton Heilenburger, observed that in 

 places where water was held behind a ridge of gravel, 

 even though located on the tide flats on higher levels 

 where otherwise no set of seed took place, seed caught in 

 abundance. He conceived the idea of artificially holding 

 the water by use of sunken logs or the placing of boards, 



(27) 



