210 



THE MOLLUSK FISHERIES 



Summary of Industry. 

 Number of men, 

 Capital invested, 

 Value of shore property, . 

 Production, 1907 : — 



Bushels, 



Value, .... 

 Total area (acres) : — 



Sand, .... 



Mud, .... 



Gravel, 



Mussels and eel grass, 



Total, .... 

 Productive area (acres) : — 



Good clamming, . 



Scattering clams, 

 Barren area possibly productive 

 Waste barren area (acres), 

 Possible normal production, 



(acres), 



5 



$40 



600 

 $500 



25 

 15 

 10 



50 



5 



10 



25 



10 



$6,000 



Orleans. 



Orleans is one of the few towns in the State which shows an advance 

 in the clam industry. This is largely due to an increased production 

 on the rich flats of Nauset harbor, as the remaining available territory 

 in the town is declining in value. The output of 1907 is an increase of 

 nearly 40 per cent, over the yield of the previous year, which shows 

 an encouraging development. 



The clam flat area of the town is divided into four rather distinct 

 divisions, three on the east or Atlantic side and one on the Bay or 

 western side. The grounds which have been dug for the longest time 

 and yielded uniformly the best results lie in the waters of Town Cove. 

 Here a strip of gravelly sand and mud about 30 feet wide extends 

 along the shores of this cove for 2 or 3 miles. Clams are scattered 

 throughout this strip, and are dug constantly. 



The second division includes the bars of Nauset harbor, which at 

 present furnish the best digging in town. The increased value of the 

 town's industry is largely due to the recent development of these flats. 

 Clams have seeded in abundantly during the past two or three years, 

 and now furnish very good digging. 



The third section comprises that portion of the clam flat area border- 

 ing the coast of Pleasant Bay which crosses the town boundaries on 

 the southeast. Here clams are rather scarce, though dug occasionally. 

 This section is economically the least important of the four. 



The fourth section extends along the western coast, on a belt of sand 

 bars well out in Cape Cod Bay. Clams are found on a strip about a 

 quarter of a mile in width, and lying over half a mile from shore. This 

 is a very exposed location. Billingsgate Point, projecting out from the 



