FISHERY PRODUCTS IN EVERYDAY LIFE 37 



Only a few of the thousands of species of marine 

 mollusks are utihzed commercially as food, but those 

 wliich are taken are of great importance. Each year 

 more than seventeen million bushels of oysters valued 

 at over twelve million dollars are produced in the 

 United States alone. Oysters are sold in the shell, 

 shucked, canned, and dried. Shucked oysters are 

 transported more easily than those in the shell ; con- 

 sequently more oysters are sold in this way than 

 in any other. Oyster shells also constitute an impor- 

 tant commodity, being used extensively as poultry 

 grit, agricultural lime, building lime, and as a road 

 material. 



Four species of clams are taken commercially in 

 America: soft, hard or quahog, razor, and skimmer 

 or surf. Massachusetts produces more clams than 

 any other State, but Maine is a close second. Some 

 clams are taken in every State on both the Atlantic 

 and Pacific coasts. Soft clams are most abundant in 

 Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Hard 

 clams are more abundant than the soft species in the 

 other States on the Atlantic coast. Razor clams are 

 most abundant in the Pacific Northwest. 



Scallops are utilized principally as food, although 

 a limited amount of the ornamental shells are also 

 made into useful articles. The American scallop 

 fishery is located chiefly on the Massachusetts and 

 New York coasts. 



Sea mussels are considered excellent food in many 

 European countries, but the fishery is especially im- 

 portant in France, where much attention has been 

 devoted to mussel culture. France alone produces 



