REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 67 



It will be seen by consulting the tables that, in the greater num- 

 ber of beds, the clams were thriving well and were promising an 

 excellent crop at the end of 18 months. Nearly all of the experi- 

 ments were spoiled, however, before the clams became two years 

 old, by poachers. It is practically impossible to stand guard night 

 and day over so many beds. The experiments, though they were 

 interrupted, nevertheless show that it is feasible to raise clams by 

 this method, also that the greatest difficulty is to provide protection 

 until the crop can mature. 



One of the experiments, that in the Kickemuit River, was 

 carried to completion, and the clams were left practically undis- 

 turbed for two years. 



We are glad to acknowledge our special obligation to the mem- 

 bers of the firm of C. E. Brown & Sons, and to Mr. Charles Hull, 

 through whose aid it was possible to complete, for the first time, 

 an" experiment in transplanting clams on a large scale in Narragan- 

 sett Bay. 



On July 20th, 17 bushels of clams wei'e dug from a space about 

 300 square feet, by two men, at one tide, and they had finished 

 digging within an hour after the tide had begun to rise.* 



At this rate of production the yield would be more than 2,400 bush- 

 els per acre. From one square yard three pecks of clams were dug, 

 corresponding to a yield of 3,600 bushels per acre. 



The bed was opened to the public on August 10th, 1903, and shortly 

 after midnight the diggers began to assemble and made use of the 

 early morning tide, which was low at about two o'clock. At low 

 tide in the afternoon, more than 50 persons were engaged in digging 

 upon this bed. The ground was continually dug over throughout 

 the rest of the summer, and even as late as November. On October 

 20, for example, there were eleven persons digging on this bed. 



According to the estimate of those who have watched the yield 

 from this bed most closely, about 600 to 700 bushels have been taken 



* Probably a considerable number of clams were overlooked in so rapid digging, which 

 would, of course, raise the production from this area. 



