76 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



p Notwithstanding the disadvantages and difficulties set 



may be out herein, oyster cultivation in Prince Edward Island 



Expected ji^g made progress and if, from a financial standpoint, 



the companies have not, up to the present, made oyster cultivation a 

 success, it is chiefly owing to the obstacles I have mentioned. When 

 these are removed I am satisfied that great strides will be made in 

 oyster propagation in Prince Edward Island. 



Mr. Daniels: What are the evidences of an extinct oyster bed? 



Mr. ArsEnault : The evidence is that you find the shells but no 

 live oysters. Experience has shown that we committed an error. 

 We leased large areas of ground that were practically valueless be- 

 cause the bottom was unsuitable for oyster culture, as it consisted of 

 mud and shifting sand. Certain companies got some good ground. 

 The Standard Cup Oyster Company, which has 1,400 acres under 

 lease, got some very good bottom. Another company, the Malpeque, 

 which leased 1,000 acres, has also some good ground, but the bulk of 

 it is of the mud-bottom kind. Notwithstanding these difficulties, I 

 have no doubt that these companies would have been more successful 

 were it not for (1) poaching, and (2) the prevalence of star-fish. 

 Malpeque bay contains 30,000 acres ; it is about five miles by eight and 

 you can well understand that it is a difficult matter for private owners, 

 especially where there are only a few of them, to protect their beds. 

 It has frequently happened that, after putting down their oysters, the 

 major part of them have been stolen. As to the star-fish, the year 

 before last the Ostrea and another patrol boat did some sweeping and 

 did very good work while so employed. Unfortunately, they were only 

 at it for a month or six weeks and, this year, nothing was done except 

 by the companies. You might say that the duty of sweeping for star- 

 fish lies with the companies, but, where you have large areas under 

 Dominion jurisdiction, it is of very little use for the private companies 

 to sweep their beds when the other portions are infested. 



These have been the two great difficulties that the companies have 

 had to contend with and they are difficulties that we propose taking 

 up with the Dominion Government. You might say: Why not leave 

 those beds that, at present, are non-productive? That is certainly 

 what should be done because, in the case of an already built-up bed, the 

 only thing to do is to clean it off and plant oysters or to put down 

 cultch and catch spat. Here (exhibiting sample) is a genuine speci- 

 men of the well-known Malpeque. This oyster was taken out of 



