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Prince Edward Island oysters have a widely known and well justiﬁed reputation for high quality. The Province’s oyster industry is one of its valuable natural resources.

The ﬁshery became prominent, commercially, about the time of Confederation and reached its greatest volume in the eighties. The oysters were ﬁshed in many inlets, the chief and most famous of which was Malpeque Bay.

The demand for the excellent Island oysters was too great for the natural production and the stocks became depleted. The need for man’s as— sistance was recognized before the beginning of this century and more than one attempt has been made to encourage oyster farming.

Since 1928 the Dominion Government has carried on an intensive program to re-establish the industry through oyster culture. Scientiﬁc investigations to develop methods have been cen- tered at an experimental farm in a tributary of Malpeque Bay near Ellerslie. The Fisheries Re-

search Board has had a Biological Station there for that purpose since 1930. Suitable grounds not supporting a public ﬁshery have been leased and there has been a considerable development of private oyster farming especially in the Malpeque Bay region. In 1938 and 1939 the private effort to produce oysters has been about $50,000.

It is hoped that scientiﬁc oyster farming will re—establish the industry on a larger scale and take full advantage of the excellent natural conditions for producing highest class oysters and the de- mand which already exists.

In 1940 there was a total production of 4,082 barrels of wonderfully delicious Oysters and most of these came from the areas where Oyster Cul- ture is carried on under Dominion Government Supervision. The quantity is increasing and in 1941 will be larger. The waters surrounding Prince Edward Island being exceptionally clean and pure are particularly well suited to Oyster Culture.

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“How did you enjoy your summer in Prince Edward Island?”

“It was wonderful,” replied the lady to whom this question was directed, “the ﬁsh was deli- cious!”

The above conversation actually took place at a fashionable tea party in Montreal.

“Imagine!” one former Prince Edward Is- lander commented to another, “The stupidity of that woman! With all the beautiful scenery, wonderful swimming and perfect summer climate to think about all she remembers is the ﬁsh I”

“But I don’t resent that at all,” the friend replied, “Island ﬁsh and many other Island foods really are so superior that nobody can forget them. And after all, isn’t it only human to remember most pleasura‘bly the places where we’ve had the best things to eat I”

Even those too high-minded (or something) to confess enjoyment of the extra deliciousness of Prince Edward Island foods must, nevertheless, agree that these products do possess more than average health—building qualities. The ﬁsh, for instance, are veritable “Swimming Mines” con- taining an abundance of the mineral salts so essential to child growth and to everybody’s good health. Island streams teem with an abundance of brook and sea trout; while numerous bays and estuaries along the Northumberland Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence supply a variety of tasty and delicious sea foods including lobster, smelt, mackerel, clams, quahaugs and oysters.

Besides being itself the source of many excel- lent foods, the sea also enriches foods produced on land. As no part of Prince Edward Island is more than twenty miles from the sea, the iodine content of foods produced on its farms is necessarily high. Seaweed is easily obtainable for fertilizer as well

as an inexhaustible supply of land—enriching mussel mud—all that is left of millions of mussels, clams and oysters.

The rich red soil of The Island also supplies invaluable plant foods. The red color itself is due to iron oxides which produce luxuriant plant growth and help make Island plants such good food for the fortunate people who eat them. Flavor, as well as food value, is superior in foods produced in Island soil and at least one vegetable, the Prince Edward Island Potato is in demand among epicures everywhere.

As a matter of fact the potato had quite a struggle to get into epicurean society. In the days of Louis Sixteenth, when his Canadian ex-subjects were practically subsisting on this one food, the Royal Monarch and his Queen, anxious to have their people eat potatoes in order to avert famine, gave a reception where this vegetable was served as the main dish. King Louis put a potato blossom in the lapel of his coat and the Queen wore potato blossoms in her hair. Even in democratic America, the social status of this vegetable was once ques- tioned. There is a case on record where people refused to work because potatoes were part of their daily fare. Today, in contrast, this delicious food is in demand on dinner tables 365 days in the year. And when King George and Queen Elizabeth visited Canada in 1939 potatoes—ﬁne, selected Prince Edward Island potatoes—were proudly set before them. Who knows but what their Majesties may in days to come recall with pleasure not only the beautiful Island scenery but also the delicate mealy goodness of Island potatoes expertly pre— pared by Island cooks?

Another important Island contribution to ex- tra ﬁne foods has been made by raising the quality

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