OF MASSACHUSETTS. 43 



made the leading shellfish industry of Massachusetts. The value of 

 the present quahaug industry lies chiefly in the production of " little 

 necks." Under a cultural system of quahaug farms, this could be made 

 a specialty. Old quahaugs would be kept as " seeders," and " little 

 necks" alone raised for the market. The advantage of furnishing 

 " little necks " of uniform size would lead to increased prices ; steady 

 customers would be obtained and certainty of production guaranteed. 

 All the advantages lie with quahaug farming, as opposed to the present 

 method of " free-for-all " digging. 



The quahaug industry of the future, if put on a cultural basis, will not 

 only check the decline of a valuable industry, but will increase the pres- 

 ent production many fold. A far larger supply, work for more men 

 and better prices for the consumer will result. 



(6) Spat Collecting. — The main obstacle that stands in the way of 

 permanent quahaug culture is a lack of sufficient young "seed" qua- 

 haugs. While several heavy sets have been recorded, the " seed " 

 quahaugs are never found in vast quantities, as are the young of the 

 soft clam {My a arenaria). The set of quahaugs is usually scattering 

 and slight. A method of spat collecting, i.e., catching the spawn and 

 raising the small quahaugs, is alone necessary for the complete success 

 of quahaug culture. While nothing of practical importance has yet 

 been found, indications are favorable that some means will be devised 

 in the next few years, and that quantities of young quahaugs can be 

 raised. Experiments have already shown that as many as 75 can be 

 caught per square foot in box spat collectors; but a more practical 

 method than this must be found to make the business profitable. 



The Quahaug Industry. 



Methods of Capture. — Several methods of taking quahaugs are in 

 vogue in Massachusetts, some simple and primitive, others more ad- 

 vanced and complex, but all modifications of simple raking or digging. 

 These methods have arisen with the development of the industry, and 

 record the historical changes in the quahaug fishery, as each new fishery 

 or separate locality demands some modification of the usual methods. 



(1) " Treading." — The early settlers in Massachusetts quickly 

 learned from the Indians the primitive method of " treading " quahaugs, 

 which required no implements except the hands and feet. The " treader " 

 catches the quahaug by wading about in the water, feeling for them 

 with his toes in the soft mud, and then picking them up by hand. No- 

 where in Massachusetts is it used as a method of commercial fishery. 



(2) Tidal Flat Fishery. — Often quahaugs are found on the exposed 

 tidal flats, where they can sometimes be taken by hand, but more often 

 with ordinary clam hoes or short rakes. Owing to the scarcity of qua- 

 haugs between the tide lines, this method does not pay for market fish- 

 ing, and is only resorted to by people who dig for home consumption. 



