The Rise And Decline Of The Olympia Oyster 



14 



Steste Oyster Laboratories 



THE EARLY PIONEERS IN THE OLYMPIA OYSTER 

 industry had to learn the hard way the secrets concern- 

 in,^ the propagation and culture of their product. They 

 had to learn by observation, and by trial and error. They 

 had no oyster biologist or oyster laboratories for many 

 years. But, although they learned from observation 

 when and where the o^^ster larvae set, and what areas 

 produced the best marketable oysters, yet they had a 

 keen interest in the scientific and biological problems. 



About the year 1P30 the oyster growers succeeded in 

 arousing the interest of the State Department of Fisher- 

 ies and Game; Charles R. Maybury, Director, and Charles 

 R. Pollock, Supervisor of Fisheries. A plan was worked 

 out under which the^'- secured the loan from the staff of 

 the United States Bureau of Fisheries of A. E. Hopkins, 



(85) 



