228 THE MOLLUSK FISHERIES 



The season lasts all the year round, though most of the clams are 

 dug in the summer time. Of late years it has become increasingly 

 hard for a man to earn a living by clamming, as only 1 to IV2 bushels 

 now comprise an average day's work under the most favorable circum- 

 stances. Many of the clammers are leaving the business and seeking a 

 livelihood in other employments. 



The history of the industry is one of marked decline. The most 

 conservative clammer estimates that at the present rate the passing of 

 five years will witness the complete annihilation of the industry. 



Summary of Industry. 



Number of men, 25 



Capital invested, $250 



Production, 1907: — 



Bushels, 5,000 



Value, $5,000 



Total area (acres) : — 



Sand, 100 



Mud, 100 



Gravel, 



Mussels and eel grass, . - 



Total, 200 



Productive area (acres) : — 



Good clamming, .......... 20 



Scattering clams, ......... 30 



Barren area possibly productive (acres), ...... 100 



Waste barren area (acres), ........ 50 



Possible normal production, $24,000 



Somerset. 



Somerset, the next town in order, joins Swansea on the east and 

 extends several miles up the left bank of the Taunton River. Its flats 

 on the south and west, particularly in the Lee River, produce some 

 clams, though the industry is practically run out. The total clam area 

 comprises about 75 acres. This is mostly mud, though gravel stretches 

 along the shore aggregate perhaps 10 acres. The development of latent 

 possibilities in this territory is largely curtailed by the disastrous effects 

 of the Taunton River upon the clams. This water, contaminated by 

 the manufacturing plants of Taunton, makes the clams grown in the 

 northern part of the town of inferior taste and quality. 



Six licenses, costing $1 apiece, were issued last year for " churning " 

 clams. No permits other than these are required. 



Summary of Industry. 



Number of men, .......... - 



Capital invested, .......... - 



Production, 1907: — 



Bushels, ........... 50 



Value, $50 



