THE JHAWAIIAN 



FORESTER U AGRICULTURIST 



Vol. XII. APRIL, 19l5. No. 4 



PEARL OYSTER POSSIBILITIES. 



Oyster culture has beeu tried in comparatively recent times at 

 Pearl Llarbor, Oahu, but with small success and nothing has been 

 heard of any revival of the experiment for some years, although 

 the harbor named has upon its shores remains of ancient oyster 

 beds of great extent. A late number of the Agricultural News 

 discusses a suggestion in another periodical that there is consid- 

 erable possibility of the founding of a pearl oyster industry in 

 the British West Indies. It mentions the fact that an old bed 

 still exists on the windward coast of Barbados, and says that, 

 "although attempts in the past to establish an industry in this 

 island have not been successful, it has probably been due to want 

 of knowledge, for it is understood that a very thriving industry 

 exists at the Danish island of St. Thomas." 



Thus it would appear that the conditions for such a thing are 

 about even as between Oahu and Barbados. ]\Ir. Prest, a well- 

 known Canadian authority, is quoted as saying, in the Canada- 

 West India Magazine : 



"The conditions prevailing in most of the islands are sufficiently 

 similar to those obtaining in Ceylon to justify the importation of 

 the Ceylon pearl oyster which is one of the most highly produc- 

 tive kind. An abundance of microscopic food is required by the 

 animal and also an absence of competing organisms. The sea 

 bottom should have an uneven, mixed, rocky and sandy surface 

 interspersed with broken coral and weeds, to prevent over-crowd- 

 ing and the drifting of sand. There must also be in existence a 

 gentle current for the conveyance of fresh food, and the temper- 

 ature must be equable and warm." 



In conclusion the Agricultural News says : 



"As regards the return to be expected, it is stated that in 

 Ceylon $100 worth of pearls per 1000 shells is regarded as a 

 profitable industry. The Bahrein fisheries yield over two million 

 dollars of pearls annually, employing over 800 boats. In Ceylon 

 the fisheries are even more valuable, and it is evident that the 

 establishment of this industry in the West Indies would enor- 



