The Rise And Decline Of The Olympia Oyster 



Development of Grading and Diking Sysf'em 



IN A PREVIOUS CHAPTER I HAVE COVERED THE 

 early development of the cultivation of Olympia Oysters 

 to the point of discovery of the method of catching more 

 seed by the creation of pools of water behind some logs 

 or lumber placed in such a way that the water would be 

 retained at low tide. This idea developed very rapidly 

 from the experimental stage. It was soon found that the 

 area could be increased by leveling down the beach be- 

 hind the dike so that the water covered it. This led, in 

 turn, to the creation of a dike by driving into the tide- 

 flat short boards of uniform length, driven perpendic- 

 ulary. These boards were one inch in thickness, usually 

 twelve inches wide, and in length depending on the de- 

 sired level the oysterman wished for his water-level. 

 Having decided the desired water level, stakes were 



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