OF MASSACHUSETTS. 181 



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 pro- 

 duction 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 scatter- 

 ing clams; of these, 216 acres are of mud and 34 acres of sand. 



AVhile 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, f $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 



