﻿220 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OB' 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  tive 
  beds 
  50 
  yards 
  awa}- 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  beach. 
  But 
  of 
  1,500 
  clams 
  

   planted 
  in 
  perfect 
  condition, 
  apparent!}', 
  only 
  3 
  remained 
  alive. 
  It 
  was 
  

   found, 
  too, 
  that 
  they 
  had 
  not 
  all 
  died 
  at 
  once 
  from 
  the 
  contamination 
  

   of 
  the 
  water 
  by 
  dead 
  clams, 
  for 
  many 
  shells 
  were 
  found 
  larger 
  than 
  

   the 
  size 
  planted. 
  Most 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  fell 
  to 
  pieces 
  at 
  a 
  touch, 
  being 
  

   disintegrated 
  by 
  the 
  humus 
  acids 
  and 
  carbon 
  dioxid 
  formed 
  in 
  the 
  

   decay 
  of 
  vegetable 
  matter. 
  In 
  this 
  case 
  the 
  shells 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  

   destroyed 
  by 
  the 
  acids 
  faster 
  than 
  they 
  could 
  be 
  built 
  up 
  bj^ 
  the 
  

   animal, 
  thus 
  leading 
  to 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  the 
  clam. 
  In 
  several 
  other 
  beds 
  

   where 
  decaying 
  matter 
  was 
  present 
  in 
  the 
  soil, 
  a 
  partial 
  disintegration 
  

   of 
  the 
  shells 
  of 
  living 
  clams 
  was 
  very 
  noticeable. 
  

  

  On 
  clam 
  shores, 
  patches 
  or 
  even 
  extensive 
  tracts 
  containing 
  a 
  large 
  

   amount 
  of 
  organic 
  matter 
  may 
  usually 
  be 
  found. 
  At 
  one 
  time 
  these 
  

   areas 
  may 
  have 
  produced 
  clams. 
  Man}^ 
  times 
  the 
  changes 
  which 
  bring- 
  

   about 
  the 
  adverse 
  conditions 
  have 
  been 
  observed. 
  The 
  great 
  Novem- 
  

   ber 
  gale 
  of 
  1898 
  converted 
  a 
  large 
  clam 
  bank 
  on 
  the 
  Duxbury 
  (Mass.) 
  

   flats 
  into 
  a 
  barren 
  waste 
  by 
  throwing 
  upon 
  it 
  great 
  masses 
  of 
  eelgrass 
  

   and 
  then 
  covering 
  it 
  with 
  a 
  thin 
  layer 
  of 
  sand. 
  Sometimes 
  beds 
  upon 
  

   which 
  eelgrass 
  grows 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  sand 
  and 
  the 
  plants 
  die 
  and 
  

   contaminate 
  the 
  soil. 
  When 
  such 
  changes 
  occur, 
  clams 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  

   present 
  are 
  smothered, 
  and 
  subsequently 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  for 
  others 
  to 
  

   establish 
  themselves 
  permanently. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  that 
  these 
  beds 
  event- 
  

   ually 
  become 
  purified 
  and 
  bear 
  clams, 
  but 
  we 
  have 
  no 
  evidence 
  that 
  

   this 
  is 
  so. 
  If 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  recovery, 
  it 
  is 
  probabl}' 
  very 
  slow, 
  for 
  instances 
  

   are 
  known 
  of 
  beds 
  which 
  have 
  remained 
  barren 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  after 
  

   being 
  overwhelmed 
  in 
  this 
  manner 
  by 
  storms. 
  

  

  The 
  amount 
  of 
  lime 
  in 
  the 
  soil 
  has 
  much 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  the 
  character 
  

   of 
  the 
  shell. 
  "Paper 
  shell 
  " 
  clams 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  beaches 
  of 
  pure 
  sand. 
  

   Where 
  lime 
  rock 
  is 
  exposed 
  shells 
  become 
  thick 
  and 
  heav3^ 
  Lime 
  in 
  

   the 
  soil 
  also 
  neutralizes 
  humous 
  acids 
  formed 
  by 
  decaying 
  matter. 
  

  

  Without 
  mentioning 
  other 
  cases 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  noticed, 
  it 
  seems 
  

   probable 
  that 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  soil 
  itself 
  should 
  be 
  considered 
  

   carefully 
  in 
  any 
  attempt 
  at 
  clam 
  culture. 
  

  

  THE 
  EFFECT 
  OF 
  EXPOSURE. 
  

  

  In 
  one 
  experiment 
  nearly 
  20,000 
  clams 
  were 
  dug, 
  measured, 
  and 
  

   planted. 
  Before 
  they 
  were 
  put 
  into 
  the 
  beds, 
  it 
  often 
  was 
  necessary 
  

   to 
  allow 
  them 
  to 
  lie 
  exposed 
  in 
  the 
  heat 
  of 
  July 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  two 
  days. 
  

   This 
  treatment 
  killed 
  many, 
  and 
  others 
  were 
  so 
  affected 
  that, 
  upon 
  

   being 
  handled, 
  they 
  contracted 
  their 
  siphons 
  and 
  closed 
  their 
  shells 
  

   with 
  much 
  indifference. 
  None 
  were 
  planted, 
  however, 
  which 
  were 
  not 
  

   able 
  to 
  contract 
  completely. 
  In 
  cooler 
  weather, 
  the}' 
  undoubtedly 
  

   would 
  have 
  remained 
  in 
  good 
  condition 
  for 
  a 
  much 
  longer 
  time, 
  but 
  

   it 
  was 
  plainl}' 
  shown 
  that 
  an 
  exposure 
  of 
  48 
  hours 
  to 
  the 
  summer 
  heat 
  

  

  