THE OYSTER-INDUSTRY. 201 



Planting at Galveston. — Formerly, at Galveston, it was the custom during the summer to plant oysters 

 from the reefs in the numerous bayous, where they would fatten. This branch of oyster-industry was nearly killed 

 by the recent passage of a state-law prohibiting the gathering of oysters during the summei", from May 1 to 

 September I. The oysters iu October, and even until January, are for the most part poor and with little flavor, 

 so that it is not until February and March that they are really flue. The greater part of the receipts are sent 

 inland. 



The Oystee-business op Galveston bay. — Concerning the business of Galveston bay, Mr. Ainsworth 

 reports that the boats used are smaller than the New Orleans luggers, the largest being of only about 40 barrels' 

 cajiacity, and the average 18 barrels. Their average value is $90. They make about 25 trips each between October 

 and April, and carry two men. These and other facts contributed by Mr. Ainsworth appear as follows : 



Number of boats 70 



Value |6,750 



Meu employed as sailors 140 



Meu employed on shore 100 



Receipts of oysters from bay bushels.. 85, 000 



Value S45,500 



Receipts from Louisia'iia bushels.. ti25 



Value $150 



Receipts by steamer bushels.. 2, TiOO 



Value |1,800 



Total receipts bushels.. 95,025 



Value 147,750 



Average value per bushel (uearly) fOGO 



S. THE PACIFIC COAST. 



58, OYSTEE-i:^rDUSTRIES OF CALIFORNIA. 



Sources op information. — The writer was not allowed time from his other investigations to visit the Pacific 

 coast of the United States. He must, therefore, rely for an account of the oyster-industries there, upon what he 

 has breu able to gather through the reports of the special agents of the Fish Commission and Census, Messrs^ 

 Jordan, Gilbert, and Lockington ; from correspondence, and from conversation with gentlemen who are engaged iu 

 business at San Francisco, or are otherwise familiar with the matters upou which iuformation was sought. Under 

 these circumstances, the indulgence of the critical reader is sought, should errors find their way into this chapter. 



Pacific oysters and their early utilization. — The oysters of the Pacific coast of the United States, as 

 might be expected, are of different species from those common in our Atlantic waters. Instead of the large Ostrea 

 virginiana, we find in California the little Ostrea conchophila (of which "varieties" rufoicles and expama are 

 recognized by conchologists), and the more northern Ostrea luridn, commonly known as the Shoalwater bay oyster- 



When the settlement of California first began, the oysters growing in San Francisco bay were used, but were 

 considered of small consequence. In March of 1850 was discovered a new locality for oysters at Shoalwater bay, 

 on the coast of Washington territory, just north of the mouth of the Columbia river. Though not as good as 

 eastern oystei's, these were better than the very small ones of California, and began at once to be brought to San 

 Francisco, From a newspaper of that date, it appears that of Shoalwater bay oysters there were taken to San 

 Francisco 2,000 baskets iu 1850, 1,700 baskets in 1851, and 21,052 baskets in 1853. These went by sailing-vessels. 

 The business then became well organized and Iiighly productive at that point, and the towns of Oysterville and 

 Bruceport rose out of it, where from two to three hundred men had steady employment. The census of 1800 gives 

 the value of oysters iu Washington territory at $11,597. Besides San Francisco, Portland, Oregon, and numerous 

 small ports and inland villages were supplied. 



Oyster-planting in Shoalwater bay. — The Shoalwater bay oysters were planted at home to some 

 extent — that is, they were raked off the natural beds and allowed to lie a few months on staked out beds nearer 

 shore; but they were also brought to San Francisco in their wild condition and replanted there, sup[)lanting the 

 local stock. A variety of accidents occurred, however, to interfere with the success of these undertakings. In 

 1802, it is reported that a freshet on the Sacramento and San Joaquin brought iu so much Iresh water and mud 

 that all the oysters died. In 1867 a blight seemed to come upon the bay oy,sters, and they nearly all shriveled up 

 as though cooked. Next j'ear came the great earthquake of 1808, and the death of the oysters was attributed to 

 the consequent heating of the bottom. Earthquake shocks have killed the western oysters, and left the thicker 

 shelled eastern stock uuhurt. Since that time the northern " plants " have been poor when they came, and have 

 to fatten, as previously they had done. Now they grow steadily poorer. In the ftice of this they had to contend 

 with the recultivation of San Francisco oysters, with newly found plants of large .size from Yaquina bay and from 

 Puget's .sound, and, worst of all, with the importation of oysters from New York, which was beguu when the 

 Pacific railways gave a through line across the continent. 



