The Rise And Decline Of The Ol^mpia Oyster 



driven firmly into the tide flat and a board, 12 to 16 ft. in 

 length, placed against and nailed to these stakes parallel 

 with the tide flat, and perfectly level. This level would 

 be approximately six inches above the ground level de- 

 sired, as that had been found to be the best depth of the 

 water to be retained. Then the short boards would be 

 driven perpendicular, tight against the horizontal board, 

 and against each other, making a dike two inches in 

 thickness. This dike could be extended as far as was 

 practical, considering the contour of the beach. 



LEVELING THE OYSTER BEDS. 



The area inside this dike would then be filled and 

 leveled with dirt from the shore side. Sometimes the dike 

 would require a fill of two or three feet to bring it up to 

 the desired level. To do this log floats would be used. The 

 place where the cut was to be made would be marked 

 by stakes when the tide was out. When the tide came in, 

 floats would be brought and set in place by the use of an- 

 chor poles thrust into the bottom. When the tide went out 

 again workmen, using what was known as a "mud fork" 

 dug down to the desired depth and loaded it onto the 

 floats. On the high tide this "oyster mud" would be 

 floated out to the area to be filled behind the dike. The 

 bed would eventually be level both where filled and 

 where cut down. This was a slow and tiresome process, 

 for to be a success the entire area behind the dike had 

 to be level as a floor, carrying a water level of approxi- 

 mately six inches in depth to protect the oysters from the 

 heat of summer and the cold of winter. On some beaches 

 as many as five dike levels have been used. 



(36) 



