154 THE MOLLUSK FISHERIES 



Twenty-one men make a living from the industry. The production 

 for the year ending Aug. 1, 1907, amounted to 2,100 bushels of mar- 

 ketable oysters, valued at $4,100, and 23,000 bushels of " seed," worth 

 $15,000. The methods employed in oyster culture here are similar to 

 those in use at Wareham. Thousands of bushels of shells, preferably 

 those of the scallop, are strewn over the bottom to collect the set, which 

 is then taken up and transferred to the proper grant or shipped for 

 sale. The two great enemies of the oyster, the borer or drill, and the 

 starfish, flourish here. The borer seems mo"re destructive in those sec- 

 tions which are comparatively sheltered, the starfish in more exposed 

 localities. 



The history of the industry is one of picturesque variety. The 

 beginnings of the industry were bright with promise; the sudden growth 

 which followed was spectacular but erratic; and the difficulties which 

 soon arose plunged it into complications from which it emerged much 

 shattered and greatly declined. Originally there were three good 

 natural beds, — in Monument River, Barlow's River and Red Brook 

 harbor, respectively. These beds long supplied all the oysters pro- 

 duced, and when in 1834 they began to be depleted, legislation was 

 enacted regulating them until 1863, when the town surveyed a number 

 of grants in the Monument River, each with an average area of IV2 to 10 

 acres, and allowed one of these grants to every citizen desiring it, on 

 l iic payment of $2.50. These old beds still linger as rather uncertain 

 assets of the communal wealth. The Monument River grounds still 

 supply a fairly large harvest, the Barlow River has declined much 

 more, while the Cataumet beds are nearly extinct. 



The shellfish laws of this region are of vital importance, as it is their 

 province to inaugurate order from chaos, put a stop to wasteful meth- 

 ods, and take such steps as appear necessary for the proper develop- 

 ment of the industry. How greatly these laws fail in their mission is 

 abundantly shown by the present conditions of the fishery. The whole 

 situation is on the threshold of a change. What this change will be, 

 whether for better or worse, depends upon the legislation of the future. 



Wareham. 



Wareham is the second town in the State in the production of 

 oysters, being excelled in this respect by Barnstable alone. Its com- 

 manding position at the head of Buzzards Bay, the numerous indenta- 

 tions of its coast line, and the three rivers which lie partially within its 

 borders, give it a wide expanse of available territory exceptionally 

 favorable for the development of this shellfish industry. 



The substantial success which has attended the oyster business at 

 Wareham has been attained by slow but steady growth. Many problems 

 have been encountered, — problems of local prejudice, opposition from 

 rival industries and the like; but these problems have simply hampered 

 the industry, — they have not sufficed to check its growth. At present 



