[_Approved April 9, 1888._]
In the report of the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries
for 1894 Mr. Ansley Hall gives the following account of clam culture
under this act:--
During the first two years (1889-90) the people were slow to
avail themselves of the privilege of planting, for fear that
after they had spent their time and labor they would not be
able to secure protection from trespassers; but in 1891 and
1892 lots were obtained and planted. In 1892 there were 25
acres that were quite productive, about one-third of the entire
catch of the section being obtained from them. The catch from
these lots is not definitely known, but is estimated at about
2,500 barrels.
Cultivated clams possess some advantage over the natural
growth, from the fact that they are more uniform in size, and
are as large as the best natural clam. They bring $1.75 per
barrel, while the natural clams sell for $1.50 per barrel. This
is the price received by the diggers. One acre of these clams
is considered to be worth $1,000, if well seeded and favorably
located so as not to be in danger of being submerged with sand.
This valuation would be too high for an average, since all the
acres are not equally well seeded and located. The clammers
are generally impressed that the industry can be extensively
and profitably developed, and their only fear is that they
will not be able to secure lots permanently. The greater part
of the land available for this purpose is covered by the deeds
of people owning farms along the river, and the consent of the
land owners has to be obtained before lots can be taken up.
It seems probable, however, that the business will continue
to progress unless checked by complications that may arise
relative to the occupancy of the grounds.
The result of this first practical attempt at clam culture was a
complete failure, and after a few years' trial the clam farms were all
given up. The main reason for this failure was lack of protection both
from outsiders and from one another. Nevertheless, this attempt proved
that with proper protection a most successful industry could be made of
clam farming. The following statement by Prof. James L. Kellogg, in the
United States Fish Commission Bulletin for 1899, describes the failure
of clam culture at Essex:--
It is not difficult to determine the reasons for the failure
of the culture experiment at Essex. The areas upon which clams
were planted were those which were at the time unproductive.
The beds still containing clams--the "town flats"--were free
to any native of Essex. The one thing which was absolutely
necessary to the success of any planter was that the clams on
his leased ground should not be disturbed by other diggers.
This protection was apparently not given in any case by the
town authorities, and, as no person lived within sight of the
majority of the beds, it was quite impossible for any man to
guard his property much of the time.
As to what followed it is not easy to obtain definite testimony
from the clammers themselves. Other citizens of the town,
however, and some few clammers, intimate that most of the men
began to take clams from any property but their own, and that
in this way the full result of no man's labor in planting was
ever realized. Others who did not make clam digging a regular
business, but only dug occasionally, are said to have had no
respect for the rights of those who had leased property. It was
said that at times when vessel builders and the shoe factory
released employees, many of them, for lack of other occupation,
turned their attention to clam digging, with the result that
too many clams were at the time taken from the flats.
Another reason for the failure of the Essex experiment is that
a number of short-sighted clammers began to fear, after the
clams had been planted, that the production might suddenly
become so great as to glut their market, and, as a consequence,
force prices down. Some few individuals, inspired by this fear,
are reported to have said and to have done everything in their
power to prevent the success of the experiment. In all cases,
it is said, the selectmen of the town, who issued the leases,
refused their aid in the prosecution of trespassers.
In spite of the fact, which had been demonstrated in the
experiment, that when properly planted the clams grew much more
rapidly and became much larger than on the natural beds, no
applications for a renewal of the leases were made when the
first ones expired. No change in the condition at Essex may be
hoped for until there is some evidence that a law protecting
the planter will be strictly enforced. With proper protection,
a great industry might, and probably would, be quickly
established, not only in Essex, but in any region where clam
flats are now unproductive because of excessive digging.
_Protection Necessary._--The same lack of protection which ruined the
Essex clam experiments has been the cause of similar failures in other
shore towns. As long as no protection is given, clam farming can never
become possible, as the whole success of the enterprise depends wholly
upon the planter's having complete control of his land. The present
law gives absolutely no protection, as according to the old free beach
law a person has a right to dig a mess of clams anywhere between the
tide lines, no matter whether natural or planted. This practically
discourages clam farming, however profitable, as no clammer is going to
the labor and expense of planting clams, if the next person who comes
along has a legal right to dig as many as he pleases. Until a law is
passed which gives to the clam planter absolute protection from this
sort of trespassing, and does away with the antiquated free fishing
law, clam culture can never become a successful industry.
_Present Clam Culture._--In 1906 grants of barren flats were again
issued for the purpose of clam culture in Essex, and this time the
attempt seemed successful. Two things encouraged this: the excellent
results of the experiments in Essex River by the Commission on
Fisheries and Game, and the possible results indicated by the
experiments of 1888. The only protection for these clam grants is by
public sentiment, and the mutual agreement of all the clammers to
respect the rights of the individual. So far there has been no trouble
from trespassing and the lack of protection, which caused the failure
of first attempts. It is hoped that these clam farms will become
permanently successful, despite the lack of protection, as they will
greatly increase the production of the Essex clam flats.
_Clam Farming and Agriculture._--The comparison between clam farming
and agriculture is very close, and both possess many common features,
though there are several points of difference. The clam obtains its
sustenance entirely from the water, while agricultural products obtain
their nourishment chiefly from the soil. The nitrogenous waste products
of the land washed into the streams furnish the nourishment to the
little marine plants (diatoms) on which the clams feed.
_Rate of Growth of the Clam._--The report of the Commission on
Fisheries and Game for the year 1906 contains the following
statements:--
_What is the natural growth of the clam per year?_
There is great diversity in the growth of the clam, owing to the
location in respect to three essential conditions,--current, length
of time submerged, and soil. The following figures give briefly the
general trend of results from numerous experimental beds under great
variety of conditions. For simplicity, a 1-inch clam is taken as the
standard.
A 1-inch clam will grow in one year to a size between 2 and 3 inches.
Under fairly favorable conditions, with a moderate current, a 1-inch
clam will increase to 2½ inches, or a gain of 900 per cent, in volume.
For every quart planted, the yield in one year will be 9 quarts. For
beds without current, 1-inch clams average about 2 inches, or a gain
of 500 per cent.; _i.e._, five quarts for every quart planted. Beds
under exceptionally fine conditions have shown the amazing return of
15 quarts for every quart of 1-inch clams planted. Clams increased in
these beds from 1 to 3 inches in length. Therefore, by planting clams 1
inch or over, under _favorable_ conditions a _marketable_ clam can be
produced in _one year_.
_What is the maximum production per square foot?_
The number of clams per square foot that can be raised to the best
advantage depends upon the location of the flat in respect to natural
conditions. Clams thickly planted (15 to 20 per square foot) in
favorable locations may show a greater growth than when thinly planted
(5 per square foot) in less favorable locations; therefore, no definite
statement can be made which will apply in all cases. The only rule
that can be given is that a flat with a current will produce a greater
number of clams per square foot than one without a current. On good
flats clams can be planted conveniently and economically from 10 to 15
per square foot, or even a larger number.
_What results can be obtained by planting on barren flats?_
There are two groups of flats which come under the term barren:
(1) flats which once produced clams in great numbers, but now are
practically barren, except for an occasional clam here and there;
(2) flats which never have produced clams, and on which for physical
reasons clams can never grow. The first group of flats is alone
considered in this answer.
Experimental beds were planted on certain flats in the Essex River
which come within the first group of barren flats. These once
productive flats had been cleaned out in the past, and for some reason
had not seeded naturally. Forty beds were laid out under all kinds of
conditions, with the object of finding a way to make these once more
productive. Results have been all that could be hoped for. Only 4 poor
beds were found, out of the 40 laid out; 36 beds were in thriving
condition. It should be noted that no attempt was made to choose the
best places, but all conditions were tried. Over two-thirds of the
clams were re-dug, the increase averaging, in terms of 1-inch clams,
over 1,000 per cent., or 10 quarts for every quart planted the year
before.
If many acres of Massachusetts flat, idle at present, are capable of
such a yield, should such economic waste be allowed? Why should not
the towns, by the expenditure of a little money, restock flats such as
these for the benefit of their inhabitants? I do not say that all flats
can be made productive in this way, as I know of many cases where the
mere sowing of seed clams will not restock a flat; but I do say that
Massachusetts possesses enough flats of the former nature, which should
be made a profit to her clammers. Clam set occurs, as Mr. Stevenson
shows in his report, in large quantities; the transportation of seed
clams is easy; planting requires little labor, the practical way being
to sow the clams, which burrow readily; while the yield in proportion
to the labor is enormous.
_What sized clams are best for planting?_
The size best adapted must be determined for each flat. Shore flats
with little current will allow the planting of any size, from ¼ inch
up; flats with a swift current necessitate a larger clam (1 to 1½
inches), as the smaller will be washed out of its burrow; soft mud also
demands a larger clam, as the smaller will be stifled by the oozy silt.
_What are the physical conditions that influence the growth of clams?_
There appear at least three essential conditions for rapid growth of
clams: (1) a good current; (2) low and level flat; and (3) a tenacious
soil, relatively free from decaying matter.
A low flat gives the clams longer feeding periods, as the water remains
over them longer, therefore there is a greater growth. This has been
experimentally shown by Dr. A. D. Mead.
According to Prof. J. L. Kellogg, clams cannot do well in a soil
which contains much decaying organic matter, as the acids eat away
the shells. Soils of this description also facilitate the spread of
infection from one clam to another.
Current is the chief essential for successful clam culture. The term
"current" does not imply a rapid flow of water, but rather a good
circulation of water over the flat. In the Essex and Ipswich rivers the
clam flats have a continuous current. On such flats the growth is more
rapid than on flats which have no circulation of water, in addition to
the mere rise and fall of the tide. The current performs the work of
(1) keeping the flats clean and carrying away all contamination, but
its most important work is as (2) _food carrier_.
_Value of a Clam Farm._--The value of an acre of clam flats, if
properly cultivated, is about $450 per year for the average clam flat.
Many of the more productive flats will yield a far greater amount,
while others will not yield as much. It has been often erroneously
stated that an acre of clam flats would produce $1,000 per year. This
is a decided overestimation, as it would be hardly possible for the
most productive flat to yield that amount. It is possible, however,
for a good flat to yield about $750 per year, but this is only under
the most favorable conditions. Such yields as these are large for the
clammer, whose average yearly income is only $400 (a few of the more
expert clammers make possibly $700 to $750), and a man possessing a
clam farm of 1½ to 2 acres would make a good living.
_Method of operating a Clam Farm: choosing the Ground._--In choosing
a grant, the planter should have in mind three things: (1) the
accessibility of the grant, for his own convenience, and nearness to
the market, as much of the success of clam farming depends upon the
expense of marketing the product, and the ease with which it can be
disposed of; (2) the length of time allowed for labor by the exposure
of the flat (flats vary greatly in the amount of time exposed each
tide, the low flats being submerged nearly all the time, and the high
flats having a much longer exposure),--a high flat possesses the
advantage of allowing a longer working period for the clammer; (3)
the natural facilities of the flat itself as regards the growth of
clams. Moreover, the flat should be chosen in regard to (1) soil; (2)
current; (3) tide. A good flat should have a soil which is tenacious
and compact, affording at the same time easy digging. Probably the best
soil is a mixture of fine sand and mud in a ratio of one-third mud
to two-thirds sand, as this amount of mud gives the right degree of
tenacity.
The growth of a clam depends upon the circulation of water over the
flat, as the current carries the food, and, therefore, the more current
the more food for the clams. Current also keeps the bed clean, and
prevents contamination and disease from spreading among the clams.
Then, again, the growth of a clam depends upon the amount of water over
the bed; _i.e._, length of time covered. The clam can only feed when
the tide is over the bed, and thus the feeding time is limited for
the higher flats. While experiments have shown that clams grow faster
when continually under water than when exposed part of the time, the
question of tide is not so great a factor as that of current in regard
to clam growth, and can be almost disregarded.
The best flat for clam planting is a _fairly high flat_ with a _good
current_ over it, as it gives nearly as rapid growth and a much longer
period to dig than a flat which is exposed only a short period. This
flat must have the right kind of soil, which must not be shifting sand
or too soft mud, but a compact, tenacious mixture.
_The Seed Clams._--Nature has provided the means of stocking these
farms. The set of clams is usually restricted to certain localities,
which, however, vary from time to time, and heavy sets are found in
limited areas. These sets run as thick as 2,000 per square foot of
surface, occasionally covering an area of 3 acres. From these natural
set areas the natural clam flats are partially restocked by the washing
out of the small clams. More often these whole sets are wasted, as
the clams, instead of washing on the good flats, are carried to
unproductive places and consequently perish. Thus there are areas of
heavy set which are of no use to any one, as practically all the clams
perish before they become adults. These areas of heavy set occur in
nearly every harbor of the coast to a greater or less extent, and are
available for nearly every town.
The problem now is to make use of these large sets, and not allow them
to go to waste. It has been shown that these clams when transplanted
will grow much faster, and will not perish; therefore, clam farming
offers both the possibility of saving these natural sets and utilizing
barren ground.
Methods of spat collecting have been constantly referred to in
connection with clam farming, especially by the Rhode Island Fish
Commission, and the impression has been given that clam farming can
never become a success until some practical method of spat collecting
has been found. With the soft clam there is no need of any method
of spat collecting, as the natural set is more than sufficient for
restocking the barren flats. All that is necessary is to utilize
the enormous natural sets. If this is done, the barren flats of
Massachusetts can be made productive.
The main difficulty is in devising some method of obtaining the small
clams with sufficient rapidity. As the nature of the soil and the
size of the clams vary, no one method can apply to every case, and it
depends upon the ingenuity of the clammer. The methods used at present
are: (1) digging with an ordinary clam hoe, which is slow work; (2)
digging in shallow water, so that the clams may be washed out; (3)
digging a series of trenches across the heavy set area, and scooping
out the clams washed in these trenches; (4) carrying both sand and
clams by the dory load; (5) by using a sieve, in the form of a cradle,
which washes the clams out in the water. This last method is the most
successful for small clams, and has been used by the commission in
obtaining seed clams for their experimental beds. By using a cradle 3
by 2 feet, covered with sand wire netting, clams which ran 3,000 per
quart, were obtained by 3 men at the rate of 2 bushels an hour,--an
amount sufficient to plant from 1/25 to 1/10 of an acre.
Another problem of importance is the transportation of seed clams, as
in many instances the clams will have to be carried some distance.
The best method of shipping seed clams is to pack them dry in damp
sea weed, putting them in small packages, so they will not be crushed
by their own weight. The best though most expensive method is to pack
the clams in crates, such as are used for strawberries. It has been
found that clams kept in water are not in such good condition as those
shipped dry, and it is of the utmost importance that the clams be in
good condition when planted.
The length of time a clam will live out of its natural element depends
upon the temperature; in cold weather it will keep for several days,
and even weeks; while in warm weather the seed clam will be in poor
condition after one day's exposure.
_Preparing the Grant._--Usually the ground needs no preparation, and
the clams can be planted at once. It is a good plan to remove any
mussels and any of the enemies of the clam from the grant.
_Planting the Clams._--The planting of the seed clams is perhaps the
easiest work of the clam culturist, as it necessitates merely the
sowing of the seed on the surface of the flat. The small clams when
left this way burrow into the ground as soon as the water is over them,
and require no planting on the part of the culturist.
_Working the Farm._--This style of farming requires no cultivation for
the growth of the clams. Once planted, the farmer has no further work
until the time when he is ready to dig them. The clams grow better
when undisturbed than when the soil is upturned by frequent digging.
Protection from man and the natural enemies of the clam demand the
attention of the owner at all times.
_Harvesting the Clams._--The time of digging will vary as to the size
of clam desired and the rate of growth on the grant. The clam farmer
can cater to a particular trade by regulating the size of the clams
marketed. He may find it more profitable to market a small clam after a
short period of growth, or _vice versa_, on the same principle that a
farmer raises hogs for the market.
North of Boston, in localities favorable for fast growth, such as the
Essex and Ipswich rivers, by planting large seed of at least l½ inches
in the spring, marketable clams of 2½ to 3 inches can be obtained in
the fall after six months' growth. Here the clams grow only during the
summer months, and nothing would be gained by leaving them over winter.
In this way a crop each year can be raised on these farms. In other
localities of slower growth it will take from eighteen to twenty-four
months to raise a crop. The clam farmer will have to regulate the size
of the seed and length of growth to best suit the needs of his farm.
_Advantages of Clam Farming._--Clam culture possesses several
advantages over the old free-for-all digging: (1) steadier returns; (2)
easier work; (3) better pay; (4) more clams per man. If the clammers
of the Commonwealth only realized these facts they would make a united
effort toward clam culture.
_History._
I. _Early History._--The history of the Massachusetts clam industry
began in obscurity. Even before the time of the earliest settlers the
native Indians depended largely upon this abundant mollusk for their
food supply, as is clearly indicated by the scattered shell heaps which
mark their ancient camp fires. Upon the arrival of the Pilgrims, clam
digging was incorporated among the most time-honored industries of the
Commonwealth, and in times of want the early colonists depended largely
upon this natural food supply. With the arrival of the colonists really
began the first epoch of the clam fishery as an economic factor in
this Commonwealth, a period which lasted nearly two hundred years.
This period marked the exploitation of clam grounds merely for home
consumption. Money was scarce, inland markets were practically unknown,
and the importance of this shellfish was confined merely to local
quarters.
II. _Rise of the Bait Industry._--Early in the last century a growing
demand for clams as bait for the sea fisheries became apparent.
Clams had always been utilized for this purpose more or less, but an
increased demand called for the development of an important industry in
this line. Various centers of activity were established, particularly
at Newburyport, Essex, Ipswich, Boston harbor and Chatham. The clams
were mainly shucked, that is, removed from the shell, and shipped
either fresh or salted in barrels to the fishermen at Gloucester,
Boston and Provincetown. This industry opened up new fields of
employment for many men and boys, and brought considerable ready money
into various coast communities.
III. _The Development of Inland Markets._--The consumption of clams
for food in the coast towns continued throughout the rise and gradual
decline of the bait industry, but the creation of inland markets did
not begin to be an important factor until 1875. It was about this time
that the clam came to be generally looked upon throughout the State
as an article of food, and consequently an important industry was
gradually evolved to meet this growing demand. This step marked the
beginning of the extensive fishery of the present day.
The mistaken policy of the average shellfish community, which
regarded clam grounds as natural gardens of inexhaustible fertility,
still persisted even after the fallacy of this policy had long
proved apparent through the depletion of extensive tracts. The same
ill-advised methods were pursued to the ultimate ruination of much
valuable territory. All wise regard for the future was overshadowed
by the immediate needs of the present; local legislation fostered the
evil; State legislation was conspicuous by its absence; and, left to
the mercy of unsystematic overdigging, these natural resources rapidly
wasted away.
The disastrous tendencies which have lurked in the ruling policy of
the clam fishery have been shown in the rise and fall of the industry
in certain localities. Forty years ago Duxbury and Plymouth ranked
as the greatest clam towns of the coast. Their supply has long since
become insignificant. Newburyport and Ipswich have become the chief
producers of the State clam harvest; but Essex and Gloucester, in the
same fertile regions, have greatly declined, and the industry at Rowley
has become nearly extinct. In the Fall River district the digging of
small seed clams for food has brought the fishery to the verge of ruin.
The few resources of Buzzards Bay have become nearly exhausted, while
on Cape Cod the industry has shown here and there a temporary increase,
overshadowed by a far more extensive decline, such as at Chatham.
Furthermore, the sewage contamination of coast waters in the harbors of
Boston and several other large cities have closed extensive regions for
the production of food.
IV. _Attempts to develop the Industry._--Various efforts have been
made to restrain overdigging the clam flats, by local regulations,
particularly by "close" seasons. These attempts have been productive
of little good. Other efforts, designed to develop extensive tracts
made barren by wasteful methods of fishing, have been put in operation.
These efforts have been along two independent lines: the first, an
effort on the part of the community to seed in common flats by the
appropriation of money for that purpose, as in the case of Wellfleet;
the second, an attempt to arrive at the same end by leasing private
grants to individuals, as at Essex and Plymouth. These efforts, while
tending in the right direction, have not as yet yielded the results
that might be wished for. Within the past three years the State has
taken hold of the problem, and by an extensive series of experiments is
endeavoring to devise practical means of developing the great inherent
possibilities in this extensive industry.
CLAM PRODUCTION TABLE FOR MASSACHUSETTS, OBTAINED FROM THE REPORTS OF
THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION.
=======+==========+=========+===================
| | |
YEAR. | Bushels. | Value. | Price per Bushel
| | | (Cents).
-------+----------+---------+-------------------
1880, | 158,626 | $76,195 | 41.73
1887, | 230,659 | 121,202 | 52.54
1888, | 243,777 | 127,838 | 52.44
1889, | 240,831 | 137,711 | 57.14
1892, | 191,923 | 133,529 | 69.57
1898, | 147,095 | 102,594 | 69.74
1902, | 227,941 | 157,247 | 68.98
1905, | 217,519 | 209,545 | 96.19
=======+==========+=========+===================
_The Clam Industry._
_Methods of Digging._--The ordinary method of taking clams is so simple
as hardly to need explanation. Although simple, clam digging requires
considerable skill, and it takes years of experience to become a good
clammer.
There are two methods of clam digging used in Massachusetts,--the
"wet" and the "dry" digging. Wet digging is carried on when water is
over the clam beds; dry digging, which is the common method, takes
place when the flats are left exposed by the tides. The only places in
Massachusetts where wet digging is carried on regularly are Eastham,
Chatham, Swansea, and in Katama Bay, Edgartown. In the lower end of
Katama Bay is found a submerged bed of clams which is one of the most
productive beds of this class in Massachusetts. These submerged clams
are taken with what is known locally as a "sea horse," which is an
enlarged clam hoe, with prongs 12 to 14 inches long, and a strong
wooden handle four feet in length. This handle has a belt attachment
which is buckled around the clammer. Two men are required for this
work. The sea horse is worked deep into the loose sand and is dragged
along by one man, who wades in the shallow water over these submerged
flats, while his partner follows, gathering the clams which the sea
horse roots out. Another method of wet digging is called "churning,"
and is based on the same principle as the above method, only the clams
are turned out under water by long forks or hoes. This method is not
used in Massachusetts to any extent. Excellent results are usually
obtained from wet digging.
The methods used in dry digging depend upon the nature of the soil.
The difference lies only in the kind of digger. The clam hoe of the
south shore, where the soil is either coarse sand or gravel, has broad
prongs, some even being 1¼ inches across. The usual number of prongs
is four, but occasionally three broad prongs suffice. The clam hoe of
the north shore, often called "hooker," has four thin, sharp prongs
and a short handle. The set of this handle is a matter of choice with
the individual clammers, some preferring a sharp, acute angle, and
others a right angle. This style of clam hoe is best suited for the
hard, tenacious clam flats of the north shore. At Essex spading forks
are used for clamming, but not as extensively as the hooker. For sand
digging the forks are said to be better, while for mud digging the
hooker is preferred.
_Outfit of a Clammer._--The outfit of a clammer does not require much
outlay of capital. A skiff or dory, one or two clam hoes and three or
four clam baskets complete the list. Occasionally, as at Ipswich, where
the clam grounds are widely scattered, power dories are used, and this
necessitates the investment of considerable capital; but the investment
of the average clammer does not exceed $26. Personal apparel, such as
oilskins and boots, are not considered under this head.
CLAMMING OUTFIT.
Skiff dory, $22.00
Two clam diggers, 1.50
Four clam baskets, 2.00
------
Total, $25.50
The boats most often used by the north shore clammers are called "skiff
dories," and in construction are between a dory and a skiff. These
boats are especially adapted for use in rivers.
_Marketing._--Clams are shipped to market either in the shell or
"shucked out." Two rules are followed by the clammers in making this
distinction: (1) small clams, or "steamers," are shipped in the
shell, especially during the summer months, while the large clams are
"shucked;" (2) the fine-appearing sand clam is usually sold in the
shell, while the unprepossessing mud clam is shucked, _i.e._, the
shell and the external covering of the siphon or neck are removed.
This causes on the north shore a division by locality. The Ipswich and
Essex clams, except for a few individual orders, are mostly shipped to
market in the shell, while the Annisquam River and Newburyport clams
are usually shucked in the winter. Little if any shucking is done by
the south shore clammers.
Shucking almost doubles the value, as a bushel of clams, worth in the
shell 75 cents, will furnish, when soaked, about 10 quarts of shucked
clams, which bring about 50 cents per gallon, or a total of $1.25 when
marketed. The shucked clams are put through a process of soaking in the
same way the scallop "eyes" are treated before marketing. They absorb
a sufficient quantity of fresh water, after soaking six hours, to
increase their bulk about one-third and give a plump appearance to the
clams.
While many clammers do not soak their clams, it seems to be a universal
tendency, wherever clams are shucked, to gain by this method. Soaking
of any sort impairs the flavor of the clam, and for this reason such a
practice is to be deplored, but as long as the consumer is satisfied
to take second-rate goods, this practice will continue, and it can be
stopped only by the united demand of the shellfish dealers.
_Shipment._--Second-hand flour and sugar barrels are used for the
shipment of clams in the shell, while kegs and butter tubs hold the
shucked clams. In winter clams can be shipped inland without perishing;
but in hot weather they will spoil in a few days, unless iced.
_Maine Clams._--Massachusetts annually consumes many thousand barrels
of Maine clams. If the demand of the Boston market were not partially
met by the influx of Maine clams, the clam flats of Massachusetts would
be subject to a greater drain.
_Market._--The principal market for the clam industry of Massachusetts
is Boston. Gloucester, Newburyport, Salem and Lynn draw part of
the clam trade of the north shore, but the greater portion goes to
Boston, whence it is distributed throughout the State. In recent years
shipments have been made from the Ipswich Bay region direct to New
York, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
_Price._--The price of clams is fairly constant, varying but little
in summer and winter. Naturally, this seems curious, when winter and
summer clamming are compared. The production in winter is much smaller
than in summer, which is due to (1) fewer clammers, because of the
severe work in cold weather; (2) less working days, as the clammer
is often unable to dig for weeks, and even months, and also cannot
work early or late tides, as in summer. In spite of this diminution
of supply, the winter price is practically no higher. This is due to
a smaller demand in winter, as well as to the influx of the Maine
clams at this season. In summer there is an increased demand for
clams, caused by the arrival of the summer people at the seashore; and
large quantities of this shellfish are used by hotels, cottages, etc.
This increase in demand is enough to offset the increase in supply,
resulting in a stationary price.
The price varies as to the quality of the clams, whether soaked or
unsoaked, small or large, good or poor looking shells, and fresh or
stale. The average price as received by the clammer for clams in the
shell is 75 cents per bushel; shucked clams, when soaked, 45-50 cents
per gallon.
_Arrangement of Towns._
Owing to the peculiarities of the different localities, it has been
impossible to satisfactorily arrange the towns alphabetically.
Therefore, in order to present local comparisons, they have been
arranged in geographical order, starting at the northern boundary of
the State.
_Salisbury._
Salisbury, the most northerly town in the State, has a good clam
territory, very similar to that of Newburyport, though much smaller in
area.
Almost all the clam ground, and practically all the very good digging,
is comprised in a single flat, which extends along the northerly bank
of the Merrimac for nearly 2 miles. This flat is about 900 feet wide,
on an average, and has a total area of 216 acres. On the eastern end,
and skirting the channel, it is sandy; but for the most part it is mud
throughout, varying from a hard, smooth surface in the middle portion
to a soft, scummy soil on the west.
About 100 acres in the central section of this flat are covered with
a thick set of clams, especially from 1 to 2 inches. This territory
furnishes the bulk of the good digging, and is being constantly turned
over and the larger clams sorted out. Roughly speaking, the main east
half of the flat is sandy, or hard mud, with very good clamming, the
western half softer mud, with fair or scattering clams. This is an
exceptionally fine natural clam flat, and if properly cultivated its
production would be immensely increased. At the eastern extremity of
the flat a long, narrow cove extends in a general northerly direction
into the main land. This cove, including the outer fringing bars,
contains some 34 acres of flats, for the most part sandy and rather
poorly productive, though no considerable area is anywhere strictly
barren. The combined clam flat territory of the town aggregates
250 acres, comprising 150 acres of good clamming and 100 acres of
scattering clams; of these, 216 acres are of mud and 34 acres of sand.
While the town records show 66 licensed clammers, only about 50 make
clamming their chief occupation. The industry is carried on in much
the same manner as at Newburyport; $625 is invested in boats and
implements, and some 15,000 bushels of clams, aggregating $16,500, are
annually produced.
The clam industry at Salisbury is largely stationary as regards
available territory, while the production varies considerably from year
to year. There is little or no town legislation affecting the industry,
except the issuing of permits by the selectmen. These permits cost 25
cents, and are required from every clammer.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 66
Capital invested, $625
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 15,000
Value, $16,500
Total area (acres):--
Sand 34
Mud, 216
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 250
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 150
Scattering clams, 100
Barren area possibly productive (acres), -
Waste barren area (acres), -
Possible normal production, $70,000
_Newburyport._
Newburyport is pre-eminently the clam town of Massachusetts. It
produces the most clams, gives employment to the most men, and has on
the whole the finest flats.
The total clam-growing area of this town comprises about 1,080 acres;
of this, some 800 acres are more or less productive, while the balance,
280 acres, is practically nonproductive. Scattering clams exist
everywhere, so there are, properly speaking, no truly barren flats.
The flats of Newburyport, broad, level and continuous, are peculiarly
adapted to clam culture. The general type of soil is mud, varying from
a soft, sticky variety on the west coast, and also along the shores
of Plum Island, to a firm, hard surface in the great middle section
north of Woodbridge's Island, where clams flourish most abundantly and
furnish the best digging within the city limits. Here nearly 100 acres
are covered with a heavy set of 1 to 2 inch clams. Altogether there are
some 930 acres of this mud. Much of this, especially to the west and
south, is apparently unfavorable to clams, being soft and unwholesome,
but even here at certain seasons clams are dug extensively.
The sand flats include the shifting Hump sands that fringe the Merrimac
channel and the Cove on Plum Island. These and other minor sections
comprise about 150 acres. The Hump sands are quite productive. The
other sand flats are not entirely barren, but practically unutilized.
The clam industry at Newburyport furnishes employment for about 175
men, although over 200 depend upon it for some portion of their income.
The season lasts the year round, though on account of storms and ice
the winter's work is rather uncertain. A good fisherman will, under
favorable circumstances, dig several bushels of clams at a tide, though
the ordinary man will probably not average more than a bushel and a
half, taking the whole year into account.
The outlay of capital invested is comparatively small. A flat-bottom
boat or dory, a clam hoe or two, and three or four wire-bottom baskets,
constitute a clammer's outfit, costing altogether perhaps $15 or $20.
As two or more men frequently go in one boat, even this expenditure
may be reduced. The shore property in use, consisting of from 8 to
10 shanties, is also inconsiderable. Several power boats are used,
however, and their added cost brings the aggregate money invested up to
about $2,700.
The flats of Newburyport are a large factor in its economic wealth.
During 1907 they produced nearly 55,500 bushels of clams, exceeding
$61,000 in value. Nearly two-thirds of these clams were shucked, that
is, removed from the shell and sold by the gallon. In this form,
usually soaked to increase their volume, they retail for about 45
cents per gallon. As clams in the shell, sold for "steamers," etc.,
will hardly bring more than 65 cents per bushel, the process of
shucking nearly doubles the value to the fisherman, as a bushel of
clams in the shell will produce from 2 to 3 gallons of soaked clams.
The income of the average clammer will hardly exceed $350 per year, but
a really energetic and industrious fisherman may in the same time make
from $500 to $700, or even more. Many of the men have individual orders
from dealers in Lynn, Haverhill and the neighboring cities, while the
local dealers ship largely to Boston.
The regulation of the industry by city ordinance is of very little
note. Practically the only legislation pertaining to it is the law
which requires every clammer to have a permit, but even this regulation
is but indifferently enforced. The Newbury flats are likewise free to
the Newburyport clammers, and part of the Newburyport production comes
from these outside flats.
The history of the clam industry at Newburyport is one of constant
change. Twenty years ago large areas on southwest Joppa were
practically barren; now they are quite productive. The reverse is true
of Ball's flat on Plum Island, which, though once of great importance,
is now almost waste. Though no serious inroads have as yet been made, a
slow but steady decline in the industry is distinctly noticeable.
COMPARISON OF 1907 WITH 1879 (SALISBURY AND NEWBURYPORT).
=======+============+=========+======+==========+==========
| | | | |
YEAR. | Production | Value. | Men. | Capital. | Price
| (Bushels). | | | | per
| | | | | Bushel.
=======+============+=========+======+==========+==========
| | | | |
1879, | 28,800 | $11,520 | 60 | $750 | $0.40
| | | | |
1907, | 70,500 | 77,500 | 241 | 3,325 | 1.10
=======+============+=========+======+==========+==========
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 175
Capital invested, $2,700
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 55,500
Value, $61,000
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 150
Mud, 930
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 1,080
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 800
Scattering clams, 280
Barren area possibly productive (acres), -
Waste barren area (acres), -
Possible normal production, $250,000
_Newbury._
The town of Newbury has in itself no shellfish industry, although
there is an extensive area of suitable flats which are worked with
equal rights by the Newburyport clammers. These flats comprise some
360 acres, and extend along both sides of Plum Island Sound and
Parker River. Over 100 acres of scattering clams occur, though not
in sufficient quantities for the most part to make very profitable
digging. The remainder, some 260 acres, though almost all suitable for
the production of large quantities of clams, is practically barren.
The principal type of soil is mud, and the mud flats comprise about
250 acres. The flats of Parker River and those in its immediate
neighborhood, however, are largely sand, and altogether they aggregate
about 110 acres. Of these, "the thoroughfare" is practically the only
one which furnishes clams in any quantity. Sections of the broad
flats which border on Plum Island Sound produce scattering clams of
large size. There is, however, no very good digging in town, and no
consistent effort seems ever to have been made to utilize the great
wealth which lies dormant in the clam flat territory. Six Newbury
men dig intermittently in the summer, and furnish some 300 bushels,
worth about $250, for town trade. However, this does not take into
consideration the amount taken from these flats by the Newburyport
clammers.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 6
Capital invested, $75
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 300
Value, $250
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 110
Mud, 250
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 360
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, -
Scattering clams, 100
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 260
Waste barren area (acres), -
Possible normal production, $40,000
_Rowley._
Rowley presents a more striking example of the decline in the shellfish
industry than any other town in this region.
Four hundred acres of good flats border Plum Island and Rowley River
within the town limits, but of these only 20 at most are economically
productive. Eighty acres more are not entirely barren, though
practically worthless, while the remaining 300, though almost all well
adapted for clam culture, are barren.
The main type of soil is sand, and the sand flats, for the most part
in Plum Island Sound, comprise some 250 acres. The remainder, 150
acres, is mostly mud in scattered sections along the Rowley River and
in patches on the main flats. The only really productive flats are
the little coves and creeks of Rowley River and the Knob Reefs in
Plum Island Sound. The Knob Reef clam grounds produce very large and
fine clams, which lie on the lower edge of the flat and are exposed
only a short time every tide. Knob Reefs also has the distinction of
possessing probably the finest clam set of its size in the State, which
would furnish abundant opportunity for restocking all the barren Rowley
River flats, if the town authorities had taken proper measures to
transplant this seed. As it is, this extensive set, too thick for good
growth, is rapidly wasting away.
The history of the industry is one of steady decline. Reliable evidence
exists to show that almost all the flats of Rowley once produced clams,
and that large areas now waste were formerly productive. That these
immense barren areas, possessing such an enormous latent wealth, should
be allowed to remain thus unimproved, is a most conclusive argument for
the need of radical action. No settled attempt, however, except for a
single closed season in 1906, has ever been made by the clammers or
town authorities to better the conditions, or to check the decline in
the productive territory that remains.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 15
Capital invested, $800
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 2,000
Value, $1,500
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 250
Mud, 150
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 400
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 20
Scattering clams, 80
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 300
Waste barren area (acres), -
Possible normal production, $60,000
_Ipswich._
Ipswich is second only to Newburyport in the production of clams,
and has perhaps even greater possibilities of development. The
clam territory of the two towns, while nearly equal in extent, is,
however, markedly different in general characteristics. The flats
of Newburyport, while few in number, are broad, continuous, and have
a great degree of similarity throughout. The flats of Ipswich, on
the other hand, are divided into a great number of relatively small
sections, widely diversified in character, and scattered along an
extensive coast line. As these flats are in many respects the most
interesting and important of any town in the State, it seems well to
examine them in detail.
Four distinct divisions can be distinguished in the clam territory of
this town: Ipswich River, Plum Island, Green's Creek and Roger Island,
and Essex River flats.
Taken in the order named, the Ipswich River has in itself a great
variety of clam ground. Both sides of the river for nearly 3 miles are
fringed with bars, mainly of mud though sandy near the mouth. Some of
the mud flats are so soft that they are practically barren, or given up
largely to mussel beds; while much of the sand, as, _e.g._, the main
portion of the High Sands, is too shifting to be valuable. The larger
part of these river flats are, however, productive.
The Plum Island division comprises Lufkins, Point Peter, Appletons,
Foresides and several other minor flats. Of these, Lufkins is very
important. It occupies a semicircular depression on the coast of Plum
Island, and, owing to its peculiar location, the swift current which
flows past its outer edge makes a double eddy at both ebb and flood
tide. These eddies sweep gently over its broad surface, and deposit a
fine silt which has made the characteristic soil a hard, bluish clay.
This is the only important clay flat of this region. The total area of
Lufkins is 46 acres. The outer border to the north is mud, becoming
soft; to the south, sandy. The portion near shore is, as has been
stated, a clayey soil, and it is here that clams are found abundantly.
An exceptionally good set of 1 to 2 inch clams occupies from 3 to
4 acres of this portion. Though clams are numerous, the exceeding
hardness of the soil makes digging rather difficult.
Point Peter, or "P'int" Peter, is also an important flat, comprising
altogether 28 acres, though about 7 acres of the outer portion extend
far into the current, and are of so shifting and sandy a nature as to
be practically worthless. Most of the remainder is mud, varying from
sand and hard mud on the outside to soft mud in the creeks that lead
into the main land. The central portion of the flat is peculiarly
adapted to the culture of clams, however, and is very productive.
Appleton's flat comprises about 6 acres of hard sand, verging into mud,
thickly strewn with old clam shells. It lies at the mouth of Perkins
and Pine Creeks, which run for about a mile into the main land of Plum
Island, and contain nearly 25 acres each of fairly productive mud
flats. Appleton's is a valuable flat, and the clams dug here are large.
The Foresides is a thatch island a little over a mile in length, lying
in the mid channel of Plum Island Sound. The flats which surround it
on all sides are practically all sand, and comprise about 80 acres.
The whole western side is more or less productive, though the outer
edge, where the strong cross currents of the channel sweep over, is too
much rippled to be suitable for clam growth. The strip of sand along
the northern and northeastern sides, though rather narrow and limited
in area, is productive, while most of the southeastern portion, which
projects far into the channel, is barren and totally unadapted for soft
clams, though bedded with sea clams. The productive sections of this
flat are much dug, and altogether it is one of the most important of
the Ipswich clam grounds.
The west coast of Plum Island Sound, comprising the Green's Creek
and Roger Island territories, extends from the Ipswich to the Rowley
rivers. This division contains the bulk of the waste and barren flats
of the town, although there is exceptionally good clamming in Stacy's
Creek, Third Creek and the "Nutfield."
The Essex River region is rather remote for most of the clammers,
and hard to reach, but furnishes on the whole some of the very best
digging. The three main flats of this division are the Essex beach,
Wheeler's, and the Spit. Essex beach has a very good set, evenly
sprinkled over the ridgy, shifting bars that skirt the channel.
Wheeler's is an irregular sand bar, occupying about 77 acres. Fully
one-half of this is very productive, and in the main portion occurs
another thick set very similar to that on Essex beach.
The Spit, mainly sand or sandy mud, lies in the three towns of Ipswich,
Essex and Gloucester. The whole area is some 300 acres, about a third
lying within the town of Ipswich. This whole bar is so liable to
change that any calculations based on its precise area or location are
decidedly unreliable. Very good digging occurs, however, in limited
areas on the north and west sides of the Ipswich territory.
These four divisions comprise the clamming territory of Ipswich, and
aggregate 970 acres, of which 390 acres is sand and 500 mud. This also
includes 15 acres of mussels scattered along Ipswich River, Plum Island
and Green's Creek region, and about 10 acres of eel grass in various
localities. Over 800 acres is more or less productive, about half being
good clamming.
About 50 regular clammers depend upon these flats for a living,
though 136 permits were issued in 1907. Here, owing to the greater
distances to be traversed, many power boats are used. Nearly $7,500 is
invested in the industry, and 25,000 bushels of clams, at a valuation
of $18,750, are annually produced. The relative decrease in price as
compared with Newburyport is due to the fact that shucking is not so
extensively practised here.
The town laws merely require a permit from every clammer, for which
no charge is made. Such permit is issued at the discretion of the
selectmen, and requires of the recipient six months' residence in the
town and two years in the State. In past years the town has made
several by-laws for the protection of shellfish, chiefly in the nature
of partial closed seasons; but unfortunately considerable difficulty
has been found in enforcing these excellent laws, and the results have
been far from satisfactory.
Ipswich has jealously guarded the rights of its clam flats, and has
protected them in every way from the invasion of outsiders, which in
part accounts for the excellent condition of these flats, which were
originally deeded to the Commoners by the Crown, and from them to the
town. Ipswich is the only town in the Commonwealth which has thus
directly received its clam flats as its own property, and naturally has
done more to improve its natural clam resources than any other town in
the State.
The history of the industry shows little change; some few flats once
considered worthless have been opened and utilized; others once
productive have been dug out and allowed to become waste. On the whole,
the industry is following the trend of the shellfisheries everywhere,
and slowly but steadily declining.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 136
Capital invested, $7,500
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 25,000
Value, $18,750
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 390
Mud, 500
Gravel, 55
Mussels and eel grass, 25
Total, 970
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 400
Scattering clams, 420
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 125
Waste barren area (acres), 25
Possible normal production, $200,000
_Essex._
Essex, while still ranking as an important clam-producing town, has
a very imperfect development of her shellfish resources. The total
clam flat area comprises some 650 acres, and, though scarcely more
than 25 acres can be considered as unfit for the growth of clams, and
consequently barren, only a little more than half the remainder is
at all productive, and of this probably less than 150 acres yields
any financial return. In other words, 325 acres of good clam flat is
allowed to remain practically barren.
The main type of soil is sand, and nearly 500 acres may be properly
classed under this head. The remaining 150 acres are mud, and are
located in the creeks along the river and in the coves north of Hog
Island. The productive sections are scattered for the most part along
both sides of the Essex River, and well-developed areas are also
found at its mouth and on the Spit. There are several good locations
of seed clams. One section of about 25 acres occurs on the west side
of the Spit. This is composed of 1 to 2 inch clams, running 10 to 40
per square foot. At the mouth of the river on the north side occurs
another set of ½-inch clams, covering about 10 acres. On the flats west
of Cross Island is found a third set of ½ to 2 inch clams, comprising
about 30 acres. Other smaller patches of set are scattered along the
river almost up to its source.
About 50 men derive an income from these flats. Some $1,200 is
invested, and the annual product exceeds 15,000 bushels, valued at
$12,750.
The town of Essex has realized the importance of the clam problem, and
has attempted through legislation to deal with it. The selectmen are
empowered to grant to citizens of the town an area consisting of an
acre or less on flats already barren, for the purpose of raising clams,
and in this manner partially restock the flats. A rental of $2 is
charged, covering a period of five years, and an additional fee of 50
cents is required for recording. In spite of inadequate protection, the
experiment has been conducted long enough to prove that these flats can
be made profitable to the clammers.
The history of the clam industry at Essex is one of extensive decline.
There is every reason to believe that the greater part at least of the
waste area was once very productive. Prof. James L. Kellogg in the
United States Fish Commission Bulletin for 1899, says:--
We have much evidence that the clam industry in Essex has,
in the past, been extensive.... Much more testimony of a
similar character may be had to show that the flats once very
productive have almost entirely failed.
COMPARISON OF 1907 WITH 1879.
======================+========+========
| |
| 1879. | 1907.
----------------------+--------+--------
Production (bushels), | 500 | 15,000
Value, | $4,500 | $12,750
Men, | 75 | 50
Capital, | - | $1,200
Price (cents), | 40 | 85
======================+========+=========
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 50
Capital invested, $1,200
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 15,000
Value, $12,750
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 500
Mud, 125
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, 25
Total, 650
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 150
Scattering clams, 150
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 325
Waste barren area (acres), 25
Possible normal production, $120,000
_Gloucester._
The far-celebrated deep sea fisheries of Gloucester overshadow her
humble shellfish industry; but within her tidal flats lie undeveloped
resources, which if properly brought out would form no inconsiderable
factor in her annual revenue. Even now her clam fishery attains
considerable proportions, though by no means what it once was, or what
it might be were suitable cultural methods employed.
The main areas of clam-producing territory lie in the Annisquam River
and in the Essex River in West Gloucester. The grounds in the Annisquam
are the more productive. This river is some 4 miles long, and is
bordered for the greater part of this distance with tidal flats. Of
these the sand flats predominate, though there are large areas of mud
and extensive beds of mussels. On the extreme head of the river, known
as the Dumfudgeon region, dredging operations for the Gloucester canal
have somewhat impaired the flats, but as a whole the river seems in
every way suitable for the production of an abundant harvest of clams.
The flats of West Gloucester, including a portion of the Essex Spit,
are largely unproductive. The Spit is the only flat of any extent in
this region which is at present of real economic value; the remaining
flats, scattered along the south shore of the Essex River and its
tributary creeks, are for the most part practically barren.
The total area of clam flats in Gloucester approximates 550 acres. Of
this, some 250 acres are sand, 200 mud, while there are about 100 acres
of mussels and eel grass, which cannot be considered at all adapted for
clam culture. Only a fraction of the whole, 75 acres, more or less, is
good clamming; a scant 100 acres produces scattering clams; 275 acres
are barren, though capable of producing clams; while 100 acres may
never be made productive.
Eight men dig regularly on these flats the year round, and 23 others
work intermittently. The capital invested amounts to over $600, and
the annual output exceeds 6,000 bushels, valued at $8,000. Most of the
clams produced at Gloucester are shucked either for market or bait.
Local legislation has no bearing on the shellfish question, and no
effort is being made either to better conditions in the clam industry
or to check its steady decline.
The industry has fallen off greatly in the past few years. In 1875
there were 90 regular clammers, and a man could dig 6 bushels to
a tide, where now 8 regular and 23 intermittent clammers find it
difficult to get from 1½ bushels to 3 bushels per tide.
COMPARISON OF 1907 WITH 1879.
======+============+========+======+===========+========
YEAR. | Production | Value. | Men. | Capital | Price.
| (Bushels). | | | Invested. |
------+------------+--------+------+-----------+--------
1879, | 13,978 | $5,200 | 92 | $2,000 | $0.40
1907, | 6,000 | 8,000 | 31 | 600 | 1.33
======+============+========+======+===========+========
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 31
Capital invested, $600
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 6,000
Value, $8,000
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 250
Mud, 200
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, 100
Total, 550
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 75
Scattering clams, 100
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 275
Waste barren area (acres), 100
Possible normal production, $70,000
_Manchester._
Manchester has a coast line so much exposed, and consequently so small
a territory of tidal flats, that it is not surprising to find its clam
industry of very insignificant proportions. Affairs are in much the
same state of apathy as at Beverly, though Manchester does not possess
the resources of the former town, and could not, in the nature of the
case, carry on any extensive clam business. Its facilities, however,
poor as they are, are very imperfectly utilized; hence the present
state of depletion, verging on absolute exhaustion.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, -
Capital invested, -
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 100
Value, $100
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 10
Mud, 10
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 20
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, -
Scattering clams, 5
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 10
Waste barren area (acres), 5
Possible normal production, $2,000
_Beverly._
Beverly has practically no clam industry. The area of tidal flats,
comprising nearly 50 acres, is at present unprofitable and nearly
worthless. As at Swampscott, some clams still continue to be dug
for bait and for local clam bakes, but any evidence of a systematic
business has long ceased to exist. Thirty years ago clams were far
more abundant, though there was never an extensive industry. The town
authorities require no licenses and make no efforts to revive the
industry.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men,
Capital invested, -
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 100
Value, $100
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 30
Mud, 20
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 50
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, -
Scattering clams, 10
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 30
Waste barren area (acres), 10
Possible normal production, $5,000
_Salem._
Salem has far better natural advantages for clam culture than the
other towns in its immediate vicinity, and leads in clam production,
though the industry is of very inferior proportions. Seven men are at
present employed in digging the harbor flats, where the clams have
very recently seeded in. Many of these clams, though rather small, are
shucked, and the remainder are sold in the local markets. The entire
value of the annual production does not exceed $200, and the capital
invested amounts to but $75. This is rather poor showing for 100 acres
of flats for the most part comparatively good, and capable of yielding
$11,000 annually. The Salem clammers dig also in the Danvers River in
the town of Danvers.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 7
Capital invested, $75
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 200
Value, $200
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 75
Mud, 25
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 100
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 5
Scattering clams, 10
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 70
Waste barren area (acres), 15
Possible normal production, $11,000
_Lynn._
The city of Lynn has within its tidal flats the latent resources of
an important industry. Its clam grounds could, if properly utilized,
yield a great increase over their present inconsiderable return.
No legislation on the part of the city authorities has intervened
to improve the shellfish production or to prevent the depletion of
valuable territory which has been allowed to gradually lapse into an
unsanitary desert. While at low tide about 400 acres of flats spread
over the broad harbor or border the banks of the Saugus River, but 40
acres of this wide expanse yield any appreciable revenue. The principal
part of the digging is done on the mud flats of the Saugus River. Here
7 fishermen work intermittently to supply the local market during the
summer months. There is some good territory at the mouth of the river
toward the north, and scattering clams occur along the eastern shores,
but the main flats of the harbor are for the most part barren.
The deposit of sewage from the city drainage has undoubtedly had a
prejudicial effect on much of this area, as the unpleasing scum which
covers the soft, sticky mud and eel grass bears abundant witness.
Whether measures undertaken to reclaim this lost area would in the long
run yield profitable returns is an undecided question, but much might
be done, by the employment of judicious cultural methods, to increase
the yield of those flats which are properly productive. No exact
returns of the annual clam harvest for this region are obtainable, as
most of the output is disposed of at retail, but it cannot exceed 1,000
bushels, and probably falls far short of that figure; $1,000, then, or
thereabouts, represents the total monetary income from this fishery.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 7
Capital invested, $100
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 1,000
Value, $1,000
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 90
Mud, 300
Gravel, 5
Mussels and eel grass, 5
Total, 400
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 10
Scattering clams, 30
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 160
Waste barren area (acres), 200
Possible normal production, $26,000
_Saugus._
At Saugus conditions in many respects parallel those at Lynn. The clam
grounds, while they by no means equal those of the neighboring city in
area, are on the whole better, as they are freer from contaminating
sewage. Of the 250 acres which comprise the normal tide flat area, only
100 acres, or 40 per cent., can be said to be strictly barren. The
remaining 150 acres is an undeveloped asset, as its value lies far more
in its prospects than in its present productivity. While scattering
clams occur throughout, no more than 25 acres can be accounted paying
property. This remunerative territory lies chiefly in the Saugus River
and in the vicinity of the Point of Pines. Here 10 men dig quite
regularly, particularly in the summer, though none of them depend
wholly upon this source of revenue for a livelihood. The annual output
equals that of Lynn, both in amount and valuation. To these flats, with
their undeveloped resources, local legislation gives practically no
attention.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 10
Capital invested, $100
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 1,000
Value, $1,000
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 100
Mud, 150
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 250
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 10
Scattering clams, 40
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 100
Waste barren area (acres), 100
Possible normal production, $22,000
_Nahant._
Although Nahant has a large area of tidal flats, it is not on the
whole favorably located, and much that would otherwise be available is
necessarily waste. The territory which borders the western coast is not
barren, but most of it is not productive enough to be profitable.
A few scattered sections repay the clammer for his labor, and from
these sections perhaps 300 bushels a year are dug for home consumption.
Four or five men are employed at intervals in the summer months, but no
one of them depends upon this source of income for more than transient
employment, as the entire value of the yearly harvest does not exceed
$300. As there are nearly 250 acres of flats in Nahant, this would be a
revenue of $1.60 per acre, on an average. However, this is not a fair
comparison, for much of the territory apparently available is, as has
been stated, properly waste. Nevertheless, an industry of far greater
proportions than at present could be attained if wise legislation were
directed to that end.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, -
Capital invested, -
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 300
Value, $300
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 50
Mud, 100
Gravel, 100
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 250
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, -
Scattering clams, 50
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 150
Waste barren area (acres), 50
Possible normal production, $25,000
_Boston Harbor._
Owing to the danger arising from sewage contamination the State Board
of Health, on Dec. 6, 1906, requested the Department of Fisheries and
Game to prohibit the digging of clams for market in Boston harbor.
The region closed by this law lies to the west of an imaginary line
running from Point Shirley through Deer Island to the northeastern end
of Peddocks Island; thence in a southwesterly direction to the extreme
point of Hough's Neck. This territory includes Winthrop, Chelsea,
Charlestown, Everett, Somerville, Cambridge, Boston, East Boston,
South Boston, Dorchester, Neponset and Quincy. For convenience all the
prescribed territory is treated under the head of "Boston harbor."
The action of the State Board of Health in closing Boston harbor was
necessitated by a due regard for the public health, as it seemed
inexpedient to allow clams dug from this territory and subject to
sewage contamination to be marketed for food. Necessary as this act
may have been, the closing of 5,000 acres of flats for the production
of edible shellfish made valueless an important source of revenue, and
threw a large number of clammers out of employment. Some alleviation
of these conditions has resulted through the granting of permits to
take shellfish for bait from the prescribed waters, thus furnishing a
number of men with transient employment. The value of the law, however,
is almost completely nullified, for the danger to the public health is
actual, and not imaginary. Under present conditions it is well-nigh
impossible to make the necessary surveillance so complete as would be
necessary to prove that clams "dug for bait" are not used as food.
Further, even in the digging and handling of shellfish in polluted
waters there is positive danger of transmitting the germs by hands of
the digger to his own mouth or to other persons.
The nature of the flats permit the division of Boston harbor into three
sections: (1) the north shore, (2) the south shore, (3) and the islands.
(1) The northern coast of the harbor has extensive mud and sand flats,
covered for the most part with eel grass or scattered mussel beds. Much
of the surface is a variety of pebbly gravel, while but little of it
appears to be good clam ground. The mud flats are mostly covered with a
sewage scum which renders them unsuitable for clams. Scattering clams
are found throughout the entire region.
The immediate vicinity of Snake Island in Winthrop and the cove on
Point Shirley furnish fairly good clamming, while clams are found in a
greater or less degree upon the extensive flats of Winthrop harbor.
The flats of the Mystic River, which are of a tenacious mud rather
unwholesome in appearance, in so far as they have not been encroached
upon for building purposes, possess scattered patches of very good
digging, and furnish transient employment to 20 or more men. The flats
in the Charles and Chelsea rivers likewise furnish fair clamming.
(2) The south shore of the harbor is much like the north, except that
the mud type of soil predominates. The large flats, mainly mud, are not
entirely barren though most of the clams are found in a narrow strip
of beach along the shore. At South Boston as well as in Dorchester Bay
clams are found in considerable numbers, though nowhere are there any
large areas of good clamming.
(3) The islands in the harbor are fringed with pebbly beach, where
scattering clams are usually found. Apple Island and Governor's Island
are surrounded with quite extensive flats, which are, however, but
sparsely productive. Much digging for bait is carried on constantly on
these pebbly beaches.
_History._--Boston harbor has been in the past a good clamming region,
as the magnitude of its available flats has rendered possible an
extensive production. Naturally, the closing of the harbor by the State
Board of Health has limited the annual production of clams from this
vicinity, as now the only legal digging is for bait. Owing to this
partial closed season the clams are said to have been on the increase
during the last two years. Nevertheless, before the passage of this
act the fishery had already greatly declined. The decline of the clam
industry has been going on for years, as even in 1879 Mr. Ernest
Ingersoll mentions:--
In Boston harbor clams are much depleted, owing to the fact
that they are remorselessly dug the year through, chiefly by
a class of ignorant foreigners who go down the harbor for the
purpose. July and August are the most productive months, there
being a large demand for the "clam bakes" which picnic parties
from the cities indulge in on the various beaches. All the
clams got in Boston harbor are very small, because they are
allowed little chance to grow; in March and April they are
hardly worth eating.
COMPARISON WITH 1879.
1897. 1907.
Number of men, 90 350
Annual production:--
Bushels, 40,000 7,500
Value, $20,000 $6,000
Number of dories, 50 -
Capital invested, $1,350 $2,250
In 1879 A. Howard Clark states:--
The towns around Boston usually charge a license fee of $2 a
year for the privilege of taking clams. The clams are in some
cases bought up by small operators, who team them into the
city, though the diggers sometimes bring them to the city and
sell them to the dealers direct from their boats at the wharves.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of licenses, 350
Capital invested, $2,250
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 7,000
Value, $5,500
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 500
Mud, 2,500
Gravel, 1,000
Mussels and eel grass, 1,000
Total, 5,000
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 100
Scattering clams, 1,000
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 900
Waste barren area (acres), 3,000
Possible normal production, $330,000
_Weymouth._
Weymouth, with its two rivers, possesses an area of flats aggregating
250 acres. The shores of Fore River are stony, but in spite of the
hard digging clams are found in fair numbers. The shores of Back River
are similar, except for the mud flats on the channel, which are either
barren or but sparsely productive. A few clams are dug for bait and
home consumption.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men -
Capital invested, -
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 150
Value, $150
Total area (acres):--
Sand, -
Mud, 150
Gravel, 80
Mussels and eel grass, 20
Total, 250
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, -
Scattering clams, 30
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 50
Waste barren area (acres), 170
Possible normal production, $11,000
_Hingham._
Hingham has an area of tidal flats comprising nearly 650 acres. The
characteristic soil is of two kinds: a marginal strip of pebbly beach
extending the full length of the shore, and the broad flats of Hingham
harbor and Weir River, with their extensive areas of mud, eel grass and
mussels. The clamming territory is confined for the most part to this
narrow strip fringing the shore, though scattering clams are found in
diminished numbers on the mud flats.
The shellfish industry of the town consists mostly in procuring clams,
mussels and cockles for bait. Clams are dug to some extent for home
consumption and for the hotels at Nantasket; but the fishery is carried
on in a desultory manner by a few men who dig when other work fails,
and who do not wholly depend on clamming for a livelihood.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, -
Capital invested, -
Production, 1907:--
Bushels,. 250
Value, $250
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 25
Mud, 450
Gravel, 100
Mussels and eel grass, 75
Total, 650
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, -
Scattering clams, 100
Barren area possibly productive (acres), -
Waste barren area (acres), 550
Possible normal production, $20,000
_Hull._
The stony shores of Hull offer but little suitable clam area, though
fair digging is found in the vicinity of Hog Island and in Weir River.
The usual type of flat is a pebbly or gravel beach, while near White
Head and Weir River there are large mud areas. Clams are dug only for
home consumption or for bait.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, -
Capital invested, -
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 100
Value, $100
Total area (acres):--
Sand -
Mud, 225
Gravel, 200
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 425
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, -
Scattering clams, 50
Barren area possibly productive (acres) 50
Waste barren area (acres) 325
Possible normal production, $15,000
_Cohasset._
Cohasset, though possessing sufficient suitable area to support a
clam fishery, has no industry of any importance. The greater part
of the tidal flats are barren, while the remainder are far from
fertile. The region immediately about White Head and the territory
opposite extending along Barson's beach are the most productive, while
scattering clams are found in Little Harbor.
The total acreage of available flat exceeds 100 acres. Of this, 90
acres are wholly unproductive, and the remainder, 10 acres, is not very
valuable. The main type of soil is sand, though areas of mud are found
in the coves. There are no regular clammers, though many clams are dug
by the citizens of the town for their own use. There has never been a
clam industry worthy of the name at Cohasset, and the present state of
apathy appears to be normal. No local regulations of any kind govern
the fishery.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, -
Capital invested, -
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 200
Value, $200
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 50
Mud, 50
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 100
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, -
Scattering clams, 10
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 40
Waste barren area (acres), 50
Possible normal production, $6,000
_Scituate._
There is no clam industry at Scituate. The selectmen of the town have
forbidden all exportation of clams for market, and consequently the few
clams dug are utilized for home consumption.
The possibilities of a future clam industry at this town, while not
alluring, give indications of some promise. Occasional clams are found
on the shores of Scituate harbor, as well as its tributary creeks. The
main undeveloped resource lies, however, along the broad flats of the
North River. These flats undoubtedly constitute a considerable asset in
the communal wealth, and the action of the selectmen in maintaining a
close season will tend to the restocking and consequent utilization of
this territory.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, -
Capital invested, -
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 200
Value, $200
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 50
Mud, 45
Gravel, 5
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 100
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, -
Scattering clams, 20
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 40
Waste barren area (acres), 40
Possible normal production, $8,000
_Marshfield._
Affairs at Marshfield are in practically the same state of inactivity
as at Scituate. The town has considerable natural advantages, since
the North River, which formerly made a wide sweep to the south before
emptying into the ocean, has opened a new channel within the last ten
years, forming many acres of excellent clam ground. A close season is
maintained, although there has been considerable discontent on the part
of certain individuals relative to this policy of the selectmen. A
considerable quantity of clams, probably not exceeding 200 bushels per
annum, are dug for home consumption. There are no shipments for market.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, -
Capital invested, -
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 200
Value, $200
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 40
Mud, 50
Gravel, 10
Mussels and eel grass, -
Total, 100
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, -
Scattering clams, 30
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 30
Waste barren area (acres), 40
Possible normal production, $9,000
_Duxbury._
The clam industry at Duxbury has a peculiar interest, owing to the
many perplexing problems which it presents. A vast extent of tidal
flats, far exceeding in area those of any other town in the State, and
in a measure suitable for the production of clams, lie almost wholly
barren. The enormous territory comprised in these flats exceeds 3,500
acres, or, roughly, 5½ square miles. This is greater than the combined
clam area of Salisbury, Newburyport, Ipswich, Essex and Gloucester,
which is the finest territory in the State, and produces most of the
Massachusetts clams. Duxbury, with a greater area than all these towns,
dug in 1907 about 700 bushels of clams,--an amount which could well
have been produced from 2 acres of ground. An investigation into the
history of the town shows us that this state of barrenness has not
always existed. There was a time when Duxbury was justly celebrated for
her shellfish, as is still shown by the allusions to Duxbury clams on
the menus of many hotels and restaurants. The dealers at Taunton, Fall
River and other Massachusetts cities formerly sent to Duxbury large
orders for clams, which were always forthcoming. Now, as far as can be
ascertained, not a single barrel is shipped out of the town from year
to year.
This transition from a state of prosperity to one of almost total
barrenness is replete with interest, and is difficult of solution.
Doubtless several causes may have contributed to this general decline.
In the first place, it is evident that the Duxbury flats were never in
so flourishing a state of production as those of the Cape Ann district.
This assumption is amply supported by historical records, and it is
also supplemented, at least, by the fact that a great per cent. of the
present territory is largely unfit for the production of clams in any
quantity. As these flats have changed scarcely at all for many years,
is it unreasonable to suppose that they ever have been very suitable
since the first settlement of the country?
As for the historical records referred to, the weight of evidence
everywhere tends to prove that many years ago there was a fairly large
output of clams yearly from Duxbury. But while this output was large
in itself, it was, in proportion to the possible area, exceedingly
small. Mr. Ernest Ingersoll states that in 1879 there were yearly
exported from Duxbury 5,000 bushels of clams. At that time, he says,
the industry had declined. Clamming was then prosecuted with no such
vigor as at the present time, for the price was low, and the demand,
except for bait, by no means excessive. Clams had not yet come to be
looked on as such important articles of food as at present, and the
business of digging them as carried on then could have made little
inroad on well-stocked flats. The great probability is that only a
small percentage of the whole territory was ever very productive. An
observer at the present time, viewing from an eminence the flats of
Duxbury at low tide, could not help being struck with the singular
appearance which they present. He would see spread out before him a
broad expanse apparently of green meadows, with long, narrow streams of
water winding in and out among them. These seeming meadows, stretching
on mile after mile, broken here and there by a patch of clear sand, are
the tidal flats of Duxbury, more than 2,700 acres of which are covered
with a thick growth of eel grass.
How many years this eel grass has covered the flats no one knows. It
shifts somewhat, as the ice in winter sometimes plows up an immense
surface, stripping it of its green covering. For the most part it seems
to grow steadily year after year, until the roots, decaying stalks and
the fine sediment which they have collected build up a spongy crust
over the true bed of the flat. It is this spongy, clayey soil which is
the predominant type in the eel-grass region, though a large area is
soft mud with little patches of hard sand. It does not seem surprising
that clams are not abundant in this soggy medium, covered with its
thick matting of grass. Clams do exist, however, for occasionally when
the ice in the winter storms has scraped bare a section of these flats,
scattering large clams can be found.
Whether anything can be done with these eel-grass flats on a
sufficiently large scale to render the undertaking profitable, and
whether they would prove good ground for clam culture if the eel grass
were removed, is a problem. However, the sand flats free from eel grass
comprise nearly 800 acres,--an area sufficient in itself to furnish a
very large industry for the town. Smooth, hard and unshifting, they
have the appearance of being in every way suitable for the production
of an enormous amount of shellfish. Yet, barring cockles, mussels and
razor clams, shellfish are rare on most of these flats, which, in spite
of their inviting appearance, are practically barren.
The only places where clams are dug in any quantity is along the shore.
Here little scattered patches, remnants perhaps of the former large
supply, repay the clammer's toil with a scant return. Little or no
effort is made to dig them on the main flats, and few are so dug unless
they happen to be unearthed by accident when the men are searching
for razor clams for bait. The supply is hardly adequate for home
consumption and the demands for bait by local fishermen.
Whether all the great tidal territory of Duxbury can ever be
reconstructed into profitable clam ground is a difficult question.
There exist, however, no known reasons why a fishery at least as
flourishing as that of twenty years ago could not be re-established
and indefinitely developed. A great industry was once in evidence
here. Outside the boggy eel-grass marshes (doubtful territory at best)
are wide expanses of clean sand flats, suitable in every way for the
cultivation of clams. That the ingenuity of man properly administered
can build up an enormous industry on these sand flats alone, no
thoughtful person can doubt, and then utilization of these great barren
Duxbury wastes will partially, at least, be accomplished.
COMPARISON OF 1907 WITH 1879.
======+============+=========
YEAR. | Production | Value.
| (Bushels). |
------+------------+---------
1879, | 5,000 | $2,500
1907, | 700 | 600
======+============+=========
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 5
Capital invested, $60
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 700
Value, $600
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 800
Mud, -
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, 2,700
Total, 3,500
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 5
Scattering clams, 10
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 800
Waste barren area (acres), 2,685
Possible normal production, $83,000
_Kingston._
The condition of the clam industry at Kingston is in many respects
parallel to that at Duxbury. The clam flat area (some 600 acres) is
very much smaller, but the character of the soil is essentially the
same, consisting for the most part of clay, soft mud and eel-grass
marshes, with a relatively small proportion of really suitable ground.
The two main flats of the town are Egobert's and Gray's. Egobert's,
the larger of the two, has an area of about 275 acres. Most of this
is practically waste, owing to a thick growth of eel grass; but a
triangular piece on the mid-southern section is bare. This portion of
smooth, unshifting sand comprises about 80 acres. A few patches of
clams are scattered along the outer edge, near the channel, but hardly
any of these patches produce clams enough to make it profitable to dig
them. The great bulk of this territory is entirely barren.
Gray's flat is of an entirely different type. It is a long flat, with
a fairly uniform width of about 100 yards. It runs through its entire
length parallel to the shore, while on the other side it is separated
from Egobert's by a 300-foot channel. Like Egobert's, it is covered
for the most part by eel grass, but it is essentially different in
the nature of its soil, which is mud throughout. Although the total
area of the flat is about 115 acres, an irregular section of bare mud
on the southeastern side, comprising 30 acres, is the only available
clam territory. This section is composed of soft mud on the north and
south, rather poorly suited for clam culture; but the mid section
contains several acres of hard mud, which seems well adapted, and here
clams are found in sufficient quantities to keep several men digging
intermittently through the summer months.
Along the shore a few clam grants have been given to individuals by
the local authorities. These are managed with fair success, though no
business other than that of supplying the local demand is carried on.
The possibilities of forming a clam industry here of importance is
evident, though through lack of available territory it could never give
promise of such a development as might be looked for from Duxbury or
Plymouth.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 4
Capital invested, $50
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 500
Value, $450
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 150
Mud, -
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, 450
Total, 600
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 5
Scattering clams, 5
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 150
Waste barren area (acres), 440
Possible normal production, $18,000
_Plymouth._
The clam industry at Plymouth is at a low ebb. The same problems which
baffle progress at Duxbury and Kingston are present here with all
their complications. The combined available territory, exceeding 1,600
acres, save for a few unimportant sections, is wholly barren. While it
is true that fully two-thirds of this great area is eel-grass waste,
and in its present state of little value for the production of clams,
there remains over 500 acres of good flats, for the most part sand
well adapted for shellfish culture. It is certain that a flourishing
industry has existed here in former times. From the earliest history
of the colony, records tell of the excellent clam flats at Plymouth;
and we learn that the Pilgrims during the darkest hours of the early
settlement depended in large measure upon these flats for support. As
late as 1879 Ernest Ingersoll reports an annual output of 5,000 bushels
of clams, and states that the industry had then greatly declined. It
appears to have gone down steadily ever since, until now it merely
furnishes transient employment to 4 or 5 men, who dig at rather
uncertain intervals for local markets.
The best clamming, probably because the most inaccessible, is around
Clark's Island. Scattering clams occur on Wind flat, the Oyster grant,
and in patches along the shore. But no considerable extent of good
clamming occurs anywhere, and the bulk of the territory is wholly
barren.
The town of Plymouth has endeavored in several ways to develop the
industry. It has appropriated money to restock the flats, a close
season has been tried, and an attempt made to solve the problem by the
giving of private grants. While these grants have not always been run
in as energetic a manner as could be desired, the experiment has proved
conclusively that there are great possibilities in such a system. In
short, there can be little doubt that in the proper administration
of private grants lies the key to the solution of the problem which
confronts this whole region. As clams were once abundant in Plymouth
harbor, and as no apparent causes other than excessive digging appear
to have brought about the decline, there seems to be no logical reason
why this amount of territory (500 acres) should not yield its proper
harvest. As for the vast extent of eel-grass flats, with all their
undetermined possibilities, they can well afford to wait until the more
immediate and pressing problems of the flats already available for clam
culture have been solved.
COMPARISON OF 1907 WITH 1879.
======+============+=========
YEAR. | Production | Value.
| (Bushels). |
------+------------+---------
1879, | 5,000 | $2,500
1907, | 3,000 | 2,500
======+============+=========
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
Number of men, 6
Capital invested, $60
Value of shore property, -
Production, 1907:--
Bushels, 3,000
Value, $2,500
Total area (acres):--
Sand, 400
Mud, 100
Gravel, -
Mussels and eel grass, 1,100
Total, 1,600
Productive area (acres):--
Good clamming, 10
Scattering clams, 50
Barren area possibly productive (acres), 440
Waste barren area (acres), 1,100
Possible normal production, $58,000
_Barnstable._
The clam industry at Barnstable, while not so extensive as at Ipswich
or Essex, is nevertheless of special interest. The immensely long
coast line, stretching for many miles on both the north and south
shores of Cape Cod, gives the town a shellfish area both in Cape Cod
Bay and Vineyard Sound which renders it unrivalled throughout the
State for variety of marine life and diversity of natural environment.
These conditions, as they affect clam culture, are best suited on the
northern or bay side of the town, where the clam industry flourishes
more extensively, as the southern shore is almost wholly given up to
the rival quahaug, oyster and scallop fisheries.
On the northern shore a large harbor, nearly 5 miles long and about
2 miles broad at its widest part, extends in a general westerly
direction, ending in a vast waste of salt marshes interwoven with a
network of creeks. Up this harbor the tides rush with great velocity,
and when they sweep out to sea leave a broad expanse of flats, sandy
on the north and central portions and muddy on the south. These flats
cover an aggregate area of 400 acres, comprising 200 acres of hard sand
and 150 acres of soft mud. Large stretches of these mud flats on the
south are waste, and covered for the most part with eel grass. Other
sections elsewhere are likewise waste for various causes, and are to
be excluded as unprofitable or barren; yet the total available area
remaining after making these deductions exceeds 350 acres. This is the
theoretical condition,--the real condition is far otherwise: 20 acres
at the most yield clams, and of these only 10 acres produce them in
marketable quantities.
The explanation of these conditions is interesting. In the winter
the ice and the force of storms tear out great pieces of the tough
marsh surf, and the tides sweep them down the harbor. Some of these
huge masses are torn to pieces and washed away, others find lodgment
on the broad surface of some tidal flat; these, becoming stationary,
accumulate sediment; the grass grows upon them through the summer, and
gradually a little island is formed. Surrounding these islands and
oftentimes growing over their entire surface, bedded in among the roots
of the marsh grass, we find a very thick set of clams. In short, all
the digging of any kind is in the immediate vicinity of these islands.