306 Our Food Mollusks 



any citizen of the town, on the flats along the Essex 

 River; but it was not until 1891 that any applications 

 were made for them. In that and in the following year, 

 nearly forty acres are said to have been rented. At that 

 lime the flats were practically barren from excessive dig- 

 ging, though formerly they had been extremely pro- 

 ductive. In most cases planting was desultory, each 

 renter waiting to see what his neighbor might be able to 

 accomplish in his experiment, before he gave his own 

 time to it. A few diligent ones succeeded in demonstrat- 

 ing the feasibility of the method, but as no person lived 

 within sight of the majority of the beds, the property was 

 not guarded, and no planter received any benefit from 

 his work. There were no reapplications for leases when 

 the first had expired. 



Again and again it has been proved that the way to 

 meet an increased demand for living natural products 

 is not to limit the supply, but to increase it, and almost 

 invariably this can be done. Undoubtedly state laws will 

 ultimately be modified so as to make clam culture pos- 

 sible, and many will engage in it. A few general sug- 

 gestions may be of value to those who shall be able to ac- 

 quire protection in rights to shore property, and who de- 

 sire to engage in clam culture. 



The prospective culturist will look about for favorable 

 bottoms. As already stated, he should avoid a shifting 

 surface or one in which there is much decaying organic 

 matter. It will be safe to select one on which clams are 

 growing if it is available, but many that are quite bar- 

 ren, having been made so by excessive digging, are quite 

 as good. It may sometimes be good policy to construct 

 small experimental beds. 



Free exchange of water, though not enough to disturb 



