The Growth of the Soft Clam 311 



tion. They afford a good illustration of the wasteful- 

 ness and destructiveness of nature, and at the same time 

 present an excellent opportunity to retrieve what usually 

 would be a total loss, for when left to themselves, these 

 vast communities of infants commonly perish. In the 

 case of most organisms seed is scattered beyond recov- 

 ery, but here it is collected by the tides in such a manner 

 that it may easily be gathered. While there is great 

 variation in the size and position of these segregations 

 in successive years, they occur on large flats with suffi- 

 cient regularity to insure a source of seed for planting. 



A careful examination of an extensive clam bottom 

 will also reveal areas here and there on which are clams 

 of all sizes up to two inches in length. These are 

 crowded, but not often densely packed. Here there 

 seems to be a balance, the greatest number possible, with 

 the supply of food brought by the currents, continuing 

 to exist, but growing very little, if at all. Year after 

 year the numbers and sizes of clams in such places have 

 been observed to remain about the same. Such collec- 

 tions also afford seed, and the rate of growth under more 

 favorable circumstances that may be expected of in- 

 dividuals between one and two inches in length has been 

 indicated. 



The planting of very small clams is as simple a matter 

 as can be imagined. If the bottom is not too hard, and 

 if the water does not come upon it or leave it too rap- 

 idly, they may be sown broadcast like grain. Those less 

 than half an inch long will, when covered by water, bur- 

 row in the course of five or ten minutes. Most clams an 

 inch long will also cover themselves, though the process 

 requires a somewhat longer time. It has been shown 

 that this might be made easier if the bottom were previ- 



