OYSTER CULTURE IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND 79 



oyster culture; second, the fishermen should be shown the benefit of 

 oyster culture and how, uhimately, it would benefit them because, if 

 you could make the planting successful, spat from the beds would 

 spread, thus restocking other areas. 



Me. Wii,i,iamson : Has Prof. Prince considered the possibility of 

 planting pearl oysters in Canadian waters? When I was connected 

 with the pearl fisheries in South America, Prof. Carmody came there 

 for three months from Trinidad. Perhaps you are aware that there 

 is only one pearl fishery on this continent and that is off the Venezuelan 

 coast. I wrote Prof. Carmody and asked him if he thought the pearl 

 bacilli could be brought to Canada and used to infect certain beds 

 here. He said he did not think so because the water would be too 

 cold. But, even if the water were too cold on the east coast, it might 

 not be so on the Pacific. It would be a very valuable resource if it 

 could be introduced. In fact, when I was connected with the pearl 

 fisheries, we got a lease of water off the island of Grenada. We took 

 oysters from the Venezuelan coast and put them in a bed off the 

 Grenada coast so that the British Empire could have a pearl industry. 

 This lease was the last document that Joseph Chamberlain signed, 

 before giving up the Colonial secretaryship. 



Prof. Prince: The oyster fisherman occasionally finds pearls in 

 the oysters but they are valueless. The nacreous layer, which is 

 essential for the production of the pearl, is absent from the edible 

 oyster, consequently, I am afraid there is no hope of a pearl industry 

 amongst these oysters. Perhaps we might have a pearl industry in our 

 fresh waters. Valuable pearls are not infrequent in our fresh-water 

 clams. 



With respect to the introduction of American oysters, I once 

 ordered a barrel or two from the Island and they were sent to me as 

 Island oysters, but they were all American oysters and had the flavour 

 of the American oyster. The Prince Edward Island oyster is, with- 

 out exception, the most delicious in the world. Next to it I think the 

 New Zealand oyster, especially the rock oyster, is the best. But 

 these Prince Edward Island oysters have taken first place in the world 

 for flavour and there is no danger of disease on the Island beds, such 

 as is a serious cause of trouble in American and European beds. I 

 have been on American beds and, after seeing what is brought up, you 

 wonder that anyone would eat any of these oysters. Fortunately our 

 own beds are free from that danger. 



With respect to the star-fish trouble I do not know that I can 

 accept Mr. Arsenault's statement that the patrol boats have nothing to 



