OYSTERS, CLAMS, AND OTHER MOLLUSKS 245 



which is worked deep into the sand and then dragged 

 through the shallow water. The clammer's partner 

 follows, collecting the clams upturned by the sea- 

 horse. 



Dry digging on flats left exposed by the tide is 

 a much more common practice. The clammers push 

 a "hoe" resembling a potato-digger into the sand for 

 the length of the tines and then turn up the sand, 

 thus exposing the clams. The clam-digger picks up 

 the marketable clams and places them in a lath 

 basket. When the basket is filled, the clams are care- 

 fully washed to remove all mud and sand. 



Soft clams are either marketed alive in the shell or 

 shucked out. The smaller white clams of pleasing 

 appearance are usually sold in the shell for steam- 

 ing. A bushel of clams yields about seven quarts of 

 clam meats. Shucked clams are usually shipped either 

 in kegs or butter tubs. 



During the summer season, when the best prices 

 are paid for clams, the clammers are able to make 

 very good profits from their small investment. 



The Indians fished for hard clams by the primitive 

 method of treading. The treader waded about bare- 

 footed in shallow water, feeling with his toes in the 

 soft mud for the quahogs. Such a simple method is 

 not applicable to commercial fishing to-day, as there 

 are few flats where sufficient clams can be found in 

 shallow w^ater. The colonists preferred soft clams to 

 the hard species and so gave little attention to this 

 fishery. Indeed it was not until the beginning of the 

 twentieth century that hard clams became popular. 



