nearly all made by express, it is not difficult to understand why it is that those who wish to indulge in this luxury must be willing to pay fancy prices. For a number of years this condition. existed in California, but ever since the completion of the overland railroad small seed oysters' have annually been planted in San Francisco bay, where they are allowed to remain until they reach a marketable size, when they are taken up and sold. Although the industry is controlled by but a few men, a large amount of capital is invested and thousands of dollars are realized each year from the sale of these oysters all along the Pacific coast."

The increasing demand on this coast for the eastern oyster has led to attempts to grow this species in our western waters. The experiments in San Francisco have shown that this oyster can be successfully grown there, but no attempt is made to catch the spat said to be produced there. A few experiments have already been made in the waters of the State of Washington. These may be divided into four groups: First, those made by private parties where only a few oysters were introduced. When these were properly cared for they have lived and are usually found to be in prime condition. Second, the experiment made by the United States Fish Commissioner by placing eighty-four barrels in the channel of Palux river at Bay Center, Willapa Harbor. These were destroyed by the river changing its channel and covering them up. Third, the experiment now being conducted by the Willapa Harbor Oyster Company. They have several car loads of young oysters on their beds that are in prime condition, and making a fine growth each season. Fourth, in addition to the foregoing, experiments have been made by the State Fish Commissioner and by the Agricultural College at Pullman in the propagation of the eastern oyster, and it has been demonstrated that it can be reproduced, if not naturally in our waters, by artificial means. Under the direction of the Fish Commissioner, extensive experiments are being made at Keyport, on Puget Sound. Prof. R. W. Doane, an eminent zoologist, is in charge of the station, and it is believed that his efforts will result in great benefit to the State, and that in a short time a way will be found whereby the eastern oyster will be made to reproduce itself in these waters, and thus add greatly to the industry.

There have been some shipments of these eastern oysters

from Willapa Harbor, which had grown to large size, fine flavor and were in every way superior to the imported oysters from the East. They are of the Blue Point variety, having been imported from the natural beds at Baltimore and the Atlantic coast. There are hundreds of acres of our tide lands susceptible of cultivation, and it is to be hoped that people interested in the business will furnish capital to duplicate over and over again the business which has been so successfully begun on Willapa Harbor. As an inducement to those who would wish to engage in this important industry, and to show the immense profits in the oyster business, we quote the following from the report of the Oyster Commissioner of the State of Maryland: "The industry is profitable almost beyond conception, and we are told on official authority that a crop of oysters valued at eight million dollars was raised in this way upon a French farm of 492 acres, while upon another French farm of 500 acres, 16,000,000 oy'sters were taken in six tides, although there were no oysters to be found when the farm was established five years before.”

The State Fish Commissioner, from experiments, has made the following estimates with reference to the eastern oyster, the seed being shipped from the east and transplanted. The cost of the seed per barrel is $9.00 laid down in the waters of Puget Sound; one barrel contains 15,000 seed; in growing and maturing the loss would amount to 20 per cent. through transportation and other causes, leaving a total of 12,000 oysters which would mature in three years. For care and maintenance of oysters while growing, culling and preparing for market, the cost would not exceed on the average the sum of $11.00, or $20.00 for the total cost of 12,000 matured oysters, the present value of which is approximately the sum of $175.00. One acre of land can accommodate thirty-five barrels of seed oysters, from which any person can make their own calculations as to the fabulous returns that can be derived from this industry. The profits from the natural oyster beds which have been cultivated and cared for run into the hundreds of dollars per acre.

In the past there has been but little attention paid to oyster culture in this state, although some of the methods employed in the East are now in use here. The natural oyster beds of the state have been a source of large profit to the few engaged in the business and of late years the seeding and stocking of new beds

has become an important adjunct of the business. There is no business known, when the same is intelligently managed, which for the money invested and labor employed, will yield such large profits. The demands of our local markets are greater than we will be able to supply for many years to come. The climatic conditions are such that it would seem that the business should prosper and grow, our waters not being subjected to either of the extremes of climate, heat or cold, which are detrimental to the production of the oyster. Our oyster beds are so situated that they are protected from fierce gales and destructive storms. Whatever may become of the eastern oyster, which at present has every promise of being a success, our native oyster, while in size much smaller than the eastern oyster, has a flavor which is considered by many to be superior to those from the East, and it will always find a ready market.

The fish industry of the State is properly divided into four districts, and to give a fair estimate of its value and importance, we herewith give a general summary as taken from the State Commissioner's report for 1900, as follows:

EDUCATION.

While Washington is one of the most western states and is regarded by many of the uninformed of the east as a sort of wilderness, it may be a matter of surprise and enlightenment to inform all such as will peruse this book, that our educational system is established on a permanent basis and is second only to a very few of the older states. It is a stistical fact that Washington stands near the top in freedom from illiteracy, only being surpassed in this regard by two or three states, and its citizens rank high in average education and intelligence. This is evidence not only of the fact that the East has been sending to us numbers of its best citizens, but it is also an evidence that the hardy pioneers who came here first and settled the country have been progressive and energetic in building right foundations for the continued intelligence, growth and prosperity of a future great state.

There is a comprehensive common school system, and there is no settlement of any importance to be found in the State that is not provided with a well equipped school maintained at public expense. In most of the towns there are high schools, and in nearly all of the villages there are graded schools of a high order, all of which are so organized, from the primary grades up, as to give this State as good an educational system, when time has been given to fully develop the same, as can be claimed by any state in the Union.

In addition to the common school system, there is the State University, State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, Agricultural Experiment Station, three normal schools, and School for Defective Youth.

We give below short articles descriptive of these different state institutions, showing their present equipment and enrollment, from which it will be seen in how generous a manner the State is making provision for the higher as well as the common school education of its youth.

STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

The University of Washington.

The State University, located at Seattle, was founded January 29, 1855, and opened its doors in the fall of 1862. It now has an attendance of over 600 students, and a faculty of about forty. Besides the opportunities in the college of liberal arts, or . college proper, various professional courses have been established in the college of engineering, school of mines, school of pharmacy, school of law, and the graduate school. The standards of scholarship have been raised until they are now on a par with those of the oldest eastern colleges.

There are a dozen buildings connected with the State University, including structures for the purposes of administration, science, engineering, astronomy, assaying, law, gymnastics, and dormitory life. Some of the Greek letter societies also have fraternity houses of their own. The class rooms and laboratories are, in most instances, large and well equipped, and the library contains nearly 15,000 carefully selected books.

There are numerous associations among the students of the university. Probably the most important is the Student Assembly, which is an organization of the entire student body, and decides all questions arising among the students and relating to them, and controls all matters of general interest to the student community. There are also an oratorical association, four debating clubs, six scientific and three language societies, an association for the study of pedagogy, a dramatic club, an orchestra, a band, a men's and a ladies' glee club, a mandolin club, two athletic associations, three tennis clubs, branches of the Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A., and seven Greek letter chapters. The students also own and manage a co-operative book store.

For the first forty years of its existence the State University was situated on a ten-acre tract, which is now in the heart of Seattle, and three of the buildings on the site are still in use. One of these buildings, erected in 1861, was for many years the finest educational structure on the Pacific coast. During the early nineties the old quarters became very crowded, and in 1893 the State legislature provided a beautiful new site and sufficient money to build structures of a permanent character and adequate to the needs of a growing institution.

The new site is almost four miles from the center of Seattle