December, 1913. 



MAINE 



AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 



ORONO, MAINE. 



CHAS. D. WOODS, Director 



ANALYSTS 

 James M. Bartlett Herman H. Hanson 



Royden L. Hammond Edward E. Sawyer 



Elmer R. Tobey 



0ilitial Snsipectionsi 



55 



CLAMS, OYSTERS, SCALLOPS. 



CivAMS. 



Practically all of the shelled clams offered for sale in Maine 

 are produced in Maine. There seems to be somewhat different 

 practices in the opening and handling of clams in different 

 parts of the State. In general in the area west of the Penob- 

 scot River the practice in general is as follows : 



Clams are dug during the day time, taken home by the digger 

 and during the evening the whole family enter into the work of 

 opening the clams. Before being opened the clams are usually 

 washed in sea water to remove sand and mud from the outside. 

 There are trwo methods employed in opening or shucking the 

 clams. The best method is to open them cold as the clams have 

 a better flavor than those opened hot, but this does not seem to 

 be the general practice west of Penobscot waters. For the 

 most part the clams are immersed in hot water so as to make 

 them open more easily. Whichever method is practiced the 

 clam liquor is usually thrown away. The opened clams are 

 washed in fresh water and are often allowed to stand in this 



