90 THE MOLLUSK FISHERIES 



4 to 5 gallons. Indeed, anything which will hold scallops for shipment 

 is used to send them to market. 



When the scallops get to the market they are strained and weighed, 

 9 pounds being considered the weight of a gallon of meats. In this 

 way about 6 gallons are realized from every 7-gallon keg. With the 

 improved methods of modern times scallops can be shipped far west 

 or be held for months in cold storage, for which purpose unsoaked 

 scallops are required. Certain firms have fried this method of keeping 

 the catch until prices were high, but it has not been especially suc- 

 cessful. 



(7) Market. One of the greatest trials to the scallop fisherman 

 is the uncertainty of market returns when shipping. He does not 

 know the price he is to receive ; and, as the price depends on the supply 

 on the market, he may receive high wages or he may get scarcely any- 

 thing. The wholesale market alone can regulate the price, and the 

 fisherman is powerless. While this is hard on the scalloper, it does 

 not appear that at the present time anything can be done to remedy 

 the uncertainty of return. The scallop returns from the New York 

 market are usually higher than from the Boston market. The result 

 of this has been to give New York each year the greater part of the 

 scallop trade, and practically all the Nantucket and Edgartown scallops 

 are shipped to New York. 



Either from a feeling of loyalty, or because the market returns are 

 sooner forwarded, or because the express charges are less, Cape Cod 

 still ships to the Boston market, in spite of the better prices offered 

 in New York. Why so many Cape scallopers should continue to ship 

 to Boston, and resist the attractions of better prices, is impossible to 

 determine, and appears to be only a question of custom. 



(8) The Price. The price of scallops varies with the supply. The 

 demand is fairly constant, showing a slight but decided increase each 

 year. On the other hand, the supply is irregular, some years scallops 

 being plentiful, in other years scarce. 



The Maine or Deep-sea Scallop. In the Boston market the shallow- 

 water scallop has a formidable rival in the giant scallop of the Maine 

 coast, which is nearly twice as large. Nevertheless, the Cape scallop 

 maintains its superiority and still leads its larger brother in popular 

 favor, wholesaling at 50 to 70 cents more a gallon. There is no doubt 

 that this competition has had a tendency to lower the price of the Cape 

 scallop, possibly accounting for the higher market price in New York. 



Outfit of a Scalloper. While we have traced the scallop from its 

 capture among the eel-grass to its final disposition, we have not con- 

 sidered the equipment of the scalloper. The average capital invested 

 in the business can best be summed up under these two heads, the 

 boat fisherman and the dory fisherman. 



