370 KEPOKT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



but the jjrowtli of the town and the conversion of the inlet into the 

 present hiiibor of Olympia have been disastrous to the original oyster 

 deposits. Those bays and iidets of the sound which receive rivers are 

 better adapted for oyster cultivation than tliose with more salty waters. 

 The inlets of the Olynipia region are well supplied in this respect. 

 There are extensive natural oyster deposits in the vicinity of Belling- 

 hani Bay, Samish liay, Port Discovery, Port Orford, Hood Canal, and 

 many other places in Puget Sound, but many of them are remote from 

 fresh water. Oyster Bay, near Olympia, is considered the most favor- 

 able of the localities for oyster-cultivation. 



Puget Souiul abounds in starlish, which are considered very destruc- 

 tive to the native ojsters. 



The close season from May 15 to Septemb(;r 1 is not enforced. 



Indians are the natural laborers in tliis iu'hl of industry, and the 

 few whites (Migaged in it have expended very little money in any branch 

 of oyster- cultivation. 



Surface hmpcratiires taken hy U. S. Count Surrey sleainvr McArthur at Ohjm})ia, 1S91. 



EASTEllN OYSTERS IN PUGET SOUND AND WILLAPA BAY. 



Governor E. P. Ferry, of Washington, informed me tliat he, in eom- 

 l)anywith Col. Laramie and Mr. William P. Wright, made an experi- 

 ment in planting eastern oysters near Olympia many years ago. The 

 history of the experiment is lost, but Governor Ferry's recollection of 

 it is that two sacks of oysters were put in Budd Inlet, about 2 miles 

 from Olympia. They were perhaps not properly looked after, as they 

 were soon lost sight of. It was observed, however, that they lived for 

 several weeks. The history of eastern oysters in Will;i4)a Bay is simi- 

 lar; a few sacks only were laid out in the vicinity of Oysterville. They 

 lived as well as those at San Francisco, but no signs of propagation 

 were ever dis(;overed. It was conceded by oystermen that there were 

 hardly enough of them to insure fertilization. This experiment was 

 made several years ago and has never been repeated. Many oyster- 

 men of AVillapa Bay are disposed to try bedding eastern oysters when 

 they can get direct railway communication with the Atlantic coast. 



TIDE LANDS OF WASHINGTON. 



The following, relative to the sale of tide lands in Washington, is 

 from the report of the State fish commissioner for 1800: 



The law iiiiHSod l>y tbo recent legislatuie (known as the "tide-land bill"), giving 

 the right to ]mreha,se tide land iroui the State, thns securing ])erfoct title to their 

 transplanted beds, will, in the ojiinion of nearly all the most iiromiittent oysteitsieu, 

 cuuBo a rcmarkublu growth iu the oyster industry, as prior tw tU© euactuiQUit 



