OFFlCl-Al. INSPI^CTIONS 55. 155 



No investigation of any amount has ever been made as to the 

 methods of handling the scallop. As is to be noted from the 

 table, there are large differences in the amount of dry solids in 

 the scallops. Most of the samples which were examined had 

 apparently been adulterated by soaking in fresh water. 



One of these samples, carrying more Avater than it should, 

 was furnished the dealer by Simmons, White Company, large 

 handlers of scallops in Rockland. This led to something of an 

 investigation of the methods used by the fishermen in handling 

 scallops. \^^e were greatly assisted in this by the Simmons, 

 White Company. 



The scallops grow in deep water and are obtained by dredg- 

 mg. The Maine fishing grounds extend from Penobscot Bay 

 east. As a rule the fishermen open and "cut" their scallops the 

 night of the day of fishing. As soon as the scallops are "cut" 

 the edible portion, or muscle is put in a tub with salt water. 

 They are usually delivered to the shippers in this condition. 

 When the shippers receive the scallops they pour them into 

 wire baskets, resting on the scales and weigh them. Each wire 

 basket has a mesh of nearly three-quarters of an inch. After 

 the scallops are weighed they are usually washed with fresh 

 water, by using a hose, from the city service. They are then 

 allowed to drain and are put into galvanized iron pails which 

 hold about ten gallons. To each pail about a gallon of sea water 

 is added. The scallops are left in these pails over night. In 

 the morning they are poured into a tub which contains fresh 

 water in order to give them a second washing. The scallops are 

 bailed out from this tub into bags by the use of a dip net so 

 that no water is bailed into the bag. This is usually done early 

 in the morning. They are allowed to drain for an hour, are 

 weighed, tied up and put into tubs containing chopped ice for 

 shipment. 



The shippers claim that the scallop is covered with a slime 

 and that it is necessary to thoroughly wash them in fresh water 

 or else the scallops will not keep. They also claim that packing 

 the bags in cracked ice is far better for the scallops than ship- 

 ping either in closed tin vessels with ice packed around them 

 or in the so-called Sealshipt packages which are used for ship- 

 ping oysters. 



