160 THE MOLLUSK FISHERIES 



In view of restocking the barren areas through cultural methods, 

 the north shore possesses two advantages over the south shore: 

 it has a larger natural supply at present, which will make restocking 

 easier; it has larger areas of flats, which can be made to produce 

 twenty times the normal yield of the south shore flats. Although, 

 compared with the north shore, the clam area of the south shore seems 

 poor, it is above the average when compared with the clam areas of the 

 other States south of Massachusetts, and when properly restocked the 

 clam flats of southern Massachusetts should furnish a large annual pro- 

 duction. 



If the clam industry is not properly cared for, it will be totally 

 ruined before many years. The clammers do not realize this, because 

 of a mistaken impression that nature will forever furnish them with 

 good clamming, and they have little thought for the future; while, on 

 the other hand, the consumer is indifferent from lack of knowledge. 



Scope of the Report. The object of this report is to present in 

 brief form the condition of the clam fishery in Massachusetts. For this 

 purpose facts showing the present extent of the industry have been 

 compiled, with the view of furnishing both the clammer and consumer 

 with certain desirable* information. 



The report will consider: (1) general conditions of the industry of 

 1907; (2) a survey of the clam-producing area, illustrated by maps; 

 (3) a plan of clam culture which will make productive many acres of 

 barren flats; (4) the history of the clam industry, a comparison being 

 made between the industries of 1879 and 1907; (5) a description of the 

 industry. 



Methods of Work. The same methods as used with the other shell- 

 fish were pursued in obtaining the statistical data for the clam industry. 

 The clam-producing areas were examined and the observations recorded. 

 Town records, which were of some assistance with the other shellfish, 

 furnished practically no clam data, compelling the Commission to rely 

 upon the estimates of the clammers and clam dealers. While this 

 method made it difficult to secure accurate detailed information, the 

 statistics for each town were checked up in a variety of ways, thus 

 furnishing as nearly correct figures as can be obtained. 



In making an historical comparison of 1879 and 1907, the report 

 of Ernest Ingersoll on the clam fishery of the United States, and the 

 report of A. Howard Clark on the fisheries of Massachusetts, as pub- 

 lished in the United States Fish Commission Report, Section V, 

 volume 2, and Section II., respectively, were of great use, as practically 

 all of the statistics for 1879 were obtained from these two reports. 



In making the survey of the clam areas, records were made of: 

 (1) soil; (2) food (a) in water, (b) on surface of soil; (3) rate of 

 currents; (4) abundance of clams and localities of set; (5) barren flats 

 that can be made productive. In the present report only the kind of 

 soil, abundance of clams and area of barren flats will be given, the 

 food problem being reserved for later publication. 



