44 THE MOLLUSK FISHERIES 



(3) Tonging. In most parts of Buzzards Bay and in a few places 

 on Cape Cod quahaugs are taken with oyster tongs. This method is 

 applicable only in water less than 12 feet deep, as the longest tongs 

 measure but 16 feet. Four sizes of tongs are used, 8, 10, 12 and 16 

 feet in length. Tonging is carried on in the small coves and inlets, 

 where there is little if any rough water. A muddy bottom is usually 

 preferable, as a firm, hard soil increases the labor of manipulating 

 the tongs, which are used in the same manner as in tonging oysters. 



(4) Raking. The most universal method of taking quahaugs is with 

 rakes. This method is used in every quahaug locality in Massachusetts, 

 each town having its special kind of rake. Four main types of rakes 

 can be recognized : 



(a) The Digger. In some localities, chiefly in Buzzards Bay, the 

 ordinary potato digger or rake, having four or five long, thin prongs, is 

 used. Usually it has a back of wire netting, which holds the quahaugs 

 when caught by the prongs. As the digger has a short handle of 5 

 feet, it can be used only in shallow water, where the quahauger, wading 

 in the water, turns out the quahaugs with this narrow rake. This method 

 yields but a scanty return, and is more often used for home consumption 

 than for market. 



(b) The Garden Rake. The ordinary garden rake, equipped with 

 a basket back of wire netting, is in more general use in shallow water, 

 either by wading or from a boat, as it has the advantage of being wider 

 than the potato digger. 



(c) The Claw Rake. This type of rake varies in size, width and 

 length of handle. It is used chiefly at Nantucket. The usual style has a 

 handle 6 feet long, while the iron part in the form of a claw or talon 

 is 10 inches wide, with prongs 1 inch apart. Heavier rakes with longer 

 handles are sometimes used for deep water, but for shallow water the 

 usual form is the short-claw rake. 



(d) The Basket Rake. The greater part of the quahaug production 

 is taken from deep water, with the basket rake. These rakes have han- 

 dles running from 23 to 65 feet in length, according to the depth of 

 water over the beds. Where the water is of various depths, several 

 detachable handles of various lengths are used. At the end of these long 

 handles is a small cross-piece, similar to the cross-piece of a lawn mower ; 

 this enables the quahauger to obtain a strong pull when raking. The 

 handles are made of strong wood, and are very thin and flexible, not 

 exceeding 1% inches in diameter. The price of these handles varies 

 according to the length, but the average price is about $2. As the long 

 handles break very easily, great care must be taken in raking. 



Three forms of the basket rake are used in Massachusetts. These 

 rakes vary greatly in form and size, and it is merely a question of 

 opinion which variety is the best, as all are made on the same general 

 principle, a curved, basket-shaped body, the bottom edge of which 

 is set with thin steel teeth. 



