346 GEOGRAPHICAL RK.YIKAY OK TIII: KISIIKRIES. 



Twenty men, with six cat rigged boats, measuring I or .~> tons each, arc engaged in carrying 

 clams and o\ si. -is. Ke\\ o\ -ters are taken in the bay, the inon being mainly clammers. Hush- 

 ing K.ay clams" arc larger than "Little Necks." an<l are solid and t'at. The shells of the first are 

 dark, while those of the latter are light, a difference traceable to the dissimilarity of their habitats, 

 the Connor being embedded in the dark mud of the bay, while the "Little Necks" are found in the 

 sand. I.:ist \car "i,000 bushels ofo\sters and ,'!0,000 bushels of hard clams were marketed, all the 

 shipments from this place being by boat to New York. 



Of the score of mon interested in the fisheries fourteen are married: including the families of 

 these, \ve tind sixty live persons dependent on the fisheries a! Hushing. O\-leis are planted and 

 beds claimed. The capital invested in the fisheries is as follows: In nets. .*:?.000; in boats. $;!.<>0t: 

 in oyster-beds, seed, tools, &e., $8,000. 



COLLEGE POINT. Four men from this locality oyster in Hushing Hay, using two boats of 1 

 tons each. Daniel Dill is the principal planter. Three of the men are married, having eight per- 

 sons depending upon them; $0,000 invested: product. S.OOO bushels. All shipments by boat. 



116. LITTLE NECK HA V 



OYSTER GROUNDS. The oyster grounds in the bay are tree of cost, but are staked oil in pri- 

 vate claims and planted. This gives a man a right which is respected by his neighbors, but he 

 has no legal claim upon it. The seed is usualh obtained from the F.ast River, and is worth '_'." cents 

 per bushel. 



Edward KadclifCe, of Great Neck, has 7 acres staked oCl. on \\hioh he plants yearly .">0 bushels 

 of seed to the acre, lie says it takes them three \ears to mature. At the time of my visit. Deccm 

 ber 8, it. was too cold to work the night tides, and there had been only three of the day tides in the 

 past week when he could work. On these three he made -'7. The clam grounds are free. Com 

 paratively few fish are taken. Shad are caught in pounds, tykes, and seines. During the run of 

 shad there are five pound-nets set in the bay. There is not much other fishing, except for sport. 

 There have been no smelts, scallops, or terrapins iu the ba\ for the past ten \cai-. 



YVniTKSTONE. There arc forty men here engaged in fishing, oystering, and elammin 

 whom twenty-two are married. Them are. in all, one hundred and twelve persons dependent upon 

 these industries for support. Seven vessels of '_'."> tons are used, one of 1.". tons, and live of I tons. 

 Some shad are taken in the spring, but not so many as formcrh: 'J.ooo \\eic taken last \c.n, 

 together with 3,000 pounds of bass, and $L'.000 worth of menhaden for manure: I. dOO pounds of 

 weaktish were taken in the fall of 1879. John AVebster is a large o\ster shipper, lie ships L'.ooo 

 bushels per year, and other parties ship 'J..")(M) bushels, making a total of I..VM) bushels, \\ilh 10.000 

 bushels of hard clams, and loo bushels of soft clams, shipped annually. Capital in boats. !*<;,7<IO; 

 in oysters, tools, &C., $32,000. A few shipments are made by rail, but the majority arc sent by 

 boat. In the year ending June 30, 18SO. C,7 barrels of oyttm, >-"> s barrels and L 1 bushels of hard 

 clams, and KM) pounds of fresh tish were carried by rail. Most of the lish taken are consumed 



locally. 



LtTTl.K NKCK. There are two fishermen and thirt.x oystermen and clammers here. Of these, 

 eight are married, and, including their families, there are one hundred and ten people dependent 

 on the fisheries. Eight sloops, aggregating 7.') tons, are employed, only one of which measures 

 o\cr L'O tons. Not o\er L'OO bushels of soft clams are taken, the principal part of these being con 

 sinned on the island. The hard clams from this bay have a good reputation among epicures, and 

 are in great demand at the time when oysters arc out of season. They are most esteemed when 

 about the size of a <piarter dollar, and arc usually eaten raw. The bottom of the ba\ is sandy, ami 



