THE CLAM FISHERIES. 



591 



6. SOFT-CLAM FISHEET OF LONG ISLAND. 



Crossing to Long Island, the careful inquiries of Mr. Fred. Mather provide full data to show 

 the product of the southern shore of Long Island Sound. Mr. Mather reports the yield of 1880 to 

 be as follows : 



The great irregularity observable between localities in close proximity is perhaps not wholly 

 explainable. You will hear that in this place or that (as, for example, Cow Bay) they were abun- 

 dant formerly, but have now died out, while elsewhere (as at Riverhead) they are reported reap- 

 pearing. The conditions of the bottom are to be considered, of course ; the number of enemies 

 present, and, lastly, the amount of searching which is made for them. At Port Washington, for 

 instance, more soft clams might perhaps be found if the people were not too busy with oysters and 

 quahaugs to look for them. All of those sold from this northern coast go to New York, and chiefly 

 by boat, in the spring and autumn. There is also a considerable trade in carting into the interior 

 of the island and to Brooklyn by peddlers. 



In Gardiner's and PeconicBays, at the eastern end of Long Island, clamming is not much of a 

 pursuit. They believe at Greenport that the soft clams are not good until snow comes and its 

 melting fattens them. Napeague beach is a favorite clamming ground, and another is on Shelter 

 Island. Many are dug as bait for summer fishing and pleasure parties. The rest are cooked at 

 home for cool-weather chowders. Mr. Mather reports from 50 to 500 bushels from each shore vil- 

 lage around the bay, except Three Mile Harbor, which digs 8,000 bushels, and Sag Harbor 3,000. 

 The total product is given at 13,575 bushels, worth about $7,000. On the south side no clams or 

 quahaugs of consequence are found except near the western end of Great South Bay, and thence 

 to Coney Island, but they are reported to be gradually moving eastward. Formerly the flats 

 opposite Babylon were good clamming ground, but the closing of Oak Island inlet, about thirty 

 years ago, so excluded the salt water as to ruin the supply. In South Oyster Bay a product of 

 about 2,000 bushels annually is realized, while Hempstead and Rockaway Bays and westward are 

 credited by Mr. Fred. Mather with 75,000 bushels. Many years ago this was also an important 

 business around Rockaway, and a large number of poor families were and are supported wholly 

 out of it. As you drive along the shore road through this region you constantly come upon mis- 

 erable roadside shanties, houses of the clammers, and in front will be some old boxes and barrels, 

 with great dirty heaps of shells. Perhaps the father and big boys of the family will have just 

 returned from digging, and the whole family, rough and mud-covered men, worn-out and bedrag- 

 gled mother, slatternly girls, and besmeared youngsters, will be clustered about the booty, opening 

 them and dropping dirt and clams together into the old pails and buckets out of which they are to 



