98 THE SCALLOP FISHERY 



North Side of Cape Cod. While there is some evidence from old 

 records that scallops once existed as far north as Boston, they are not 

 found at the present time further north than Plymouth, where it is 

 reported that within the past few years a few could occasionally be 

 gathered on the eel-grass flats of the harbor. Between Plymouth and 

 Provincetown scallops can be obtained at Barnstable, Brewster, Well- 

 fleet and Provincetown, but no extensive industry is carried on. This 

 section, owing to certain unfavorable conditions, probably never will 

 be suitable for a prosperous fishery such as is maintained on the south 

 side of the Cape. 



Natural conditions are practically the same for the entire section. 

 Plymouth, Barnstable, Wellfleet and Provincetown harbors are in many 

 respects similar, except that the two latter have different soil. The 

 chief characteristic is the great rise and fall of the tide, averaging about 

 10 feet, which leaves exposed at low water vast areas of flats on which 

 the scallops perish during the winter. Another unfavorable factor is 

 the extreme swiftness of the tides, for example, in Barnstable and Ply- 

 mouth harbors, which cause a continual shifting of the sand bars and 

 wash the scallops upon the flats, where they are at the mercy of the 

 elements. Every form of sea life has its range, and Cape Cod may be 

 considered as the northern barrier in the distribution of the scallop. 



The primitive methods of gathering the scallops by hand from the 

 exposed flats, or by pushers and dip nets in the shallow water, is fol- 

 lowed. No regular dredging is carried on, and the industry, except 

 during the last two years at Brewster, has not been considered of any 

 importance. The origin of the scallops which wash ashore on the flats 

 of Cape Cod Bay at Provincetown and Brewster is unknown. The 

 fishermen believe that in the deeper waters of the bay is a large bed, 

 which furnishes the scallops that are annually washed ashore. In spite 

 of the fact that this bed has never been located, there is every reason 

 to believe in its existence. 



(a) Barnstable Harbor. On the eel-grass flats on the south side of 

 the harbor a few scallops can be found at the present time; but there 

 is not a sufficient number to make a regular business, such as was carried 

 on in 1877-78, according to Clark (11). The chances are that a severe 

 winter or some other adverse condition killed all the scallops in this 

 locality, and thus, by destroying the spawners, rendered impossible any 

 future supply. 



(b) Orleans and Brewster Flats. Along the bay shore of these 

 towns, about 1/2 mile from the high-water line, scallops are found every 

 winter in more or less abundance, varying from a scant few to a suffi- 

 cient quantity, as in 1908-09, to make a profitable business for the 

 town of Brewster. The scallops, unless gathered, soon perish, as they 

 lie on the flats fully exposed to the chill of winter. 



