OF MASSACHUSETTS. 231 



Fall River. 

 Fall River has no clam territory on the south, owing to the wharves 

 and other obstructions. On the more open waters of the north towards 

 Freetown there is an extent of clam ground occupying about 25 acres. 

 The foreign element in the city dig here for food, and some clams are 

 likewise dug for bait, but the industry on the whole is of little con- 

 sequence. 



Summary of Industry. 



Number of men, - 



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



Production, 1907 : — 



Bushels, 100 



Value, $75 



Total area (acres) : — 



Sand, - 



Mud, 20 



Gravel, 5 



Mussels and eel grass, - 



Total, • 25 



Productive area (acres) : — 



Good clamming, - 



Scattering clams, 10 



Barren area possibly productive (acres), 15 



Waste barren area (acres), - 



Possible normal production, $3,500 



Nantucket. 



At present Nantucket does not possess a clam industry of any im- 

 portance. Years ago it is claimed that clams were abundant, and that 

 quantities were dug for food or for bait. Now the reverse is true, and 

 the fisherman often finds it difficult to procure clams even for bait. 

 Indeed, Nantucket furnishes an excellent illustration of the decline of 

 the clam industry. 



Practically all the flats of Nantucket are shore flats i.e., narrow flats 

 along the shores of the harbor and on the sides of the creeks. Thus the 

 area, though extending for many miles, is not great, and the clam 

 industry of the island, though capable of development, nevertheless can 

 never assume the importance of the quahaug and the scallop fisheries. 

 In Nantucket harbor clams are found in the creeks, and particularly 

 in Polpis harbor, although scattering clams are found all along the 

 south shore of the harbor. A few clams are found on the north side 

 in Coatou Creek and in First and Second Bend. The flats in Nan- 

 tucket harbor are all coarse sand or a fine gravel, except in the creeks, 

 where they become muddy. On the eastern and southern sides clams 

 are found in scattering quantities in Maddequet harbor, on the north 

 side of Tuckernuck and in the cove on the south side of Muskeget. 



