16 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



to Clatsop County only. A closed season is here established, mak- 

 ing it unlawful for one to take the razor clam for sale or canning 

 or shipment out of the county during the period from June 20 to 

 September 20 of each year. Anyone may take the clams, however, 

 without limit at all times for his own use.^ 



The closed season does not prevent a considerable amount of 

 wanton destruction and waste of the i-azor clams during the summer 

 months. Seaside and Gearheart are summer resorts with a greatly 

 increased population during the months of July and August. Hun- 

 dreds of inexperienced clam diggers attempt to dig razor clams often 

 for the novelty of it alone, and in so doing destroy a great many 

 young or half-grown clams, or crush the shells of adults in trying 

 to remove them from the sand and throw them away. 



Siliqua patula is considered by many to be the best edible clam 

 in the Northwest. It brings the highest market price, usually 

 selling for 25 cents per dozen. During the open season it is almost 

 constantly on the Portland markets, shipped either from the Clatsop 

 County beaches or from the Washington shore north of the Columbia 

 River.* In former years this clam was to be found in the markets 

 of many of the cities of northwestern Oregon, but in 1919 the species 

 was rarely handled outside of Portland and Astoria. These cities 

 are in direct connection by rail and boat with the sources of supply 

 and markets here find a ready sale for all razor clams they can 

 secure. 



SiUqua fatula is not a long-lived clam after having been removed 

 from salt water. It is good for the Portland markets which can 

 be reached from Seaside in five hours by express, but the clams 

 would hardly be good for food after the second day even though 

 thoroughly iced. The razor clam is a food to be consumed or canned 

 locally, or marketed within a short distance from the source of its 

 production. 



That the razor clam spawns on the Clatsop County beach during 

 the summer, from the latter part of June through July, has, it is 

 believed, been well established. At no other season of the year 

 was the writer able to discover the gonads in a mature condition. 

 During the first and second weeks in September large numbers of 

 young, ranging from 10 to 25 millimeters in length, may be found 

 just beneath the surface of the sand. These are, without doubt, 

 results of the spawning of the species during the previous June or 

 July. The author was not able to determine the rate of growth of 

 this species throughout an entire year or the age of the larger indi- 

 viduals. Owing to the fact that the razor clam travels about through 

 the sand, more or less, it is impractical to attempt to judge the rate 

 of growth by means of artificial plantings on the open beaches. 



Shipments of razor clams for the purpose of restocking depleted 

 beaches were made during the summer of 1918 from Seaside beach 

 to Netarts Bay, as mentioned under the discussion of the preceding 

 region, and also to Cannon Beach, immediately south of Tillamook 

 Head. There is reason to believe that both of these plantings were 

 successful. 



• Oregon Fish and Game Laws, 1919-20, sec. 143, p. 62. 



