CLAM AND SCALLOP INDUSTRIES 625 



Opposite Fire island inlet is the town of Islip, which has always 

 been the center of the industry in the bay. Soon after the civil war, 

 a factory for canning clams was established here. After struggling 

 for several years to perfect the process of canning, and to obtain a 

 market, the business grew to such proportions that 400 bushels 

 (10,000 cans) of hard clams were canned daily. This output con- 

 tinued for years, clams being brought from all parts of the bay. 

 About five years ago the supply began to decrease. Two years ago 

 it became impossible to obtain clams, and today very few are canned 

 there. The demand had steadily increased, and is now greater than 

 ever. In order to keep its business, this company established 

 another factory in one of the southern states. 



The markets at Babylon, Amityville, Massapequa, and Freeport 

 had also been quite extensive, but all report the same very recent 

 failure of the little-neck in the Great South bay. As this region had 

 supplied so great a market, the result of course is serious. 



To the unprejudiced observer, it seems* as if the enormous drain 

 on the beds must in great part account for the ruin, but it must also 

 be said that the growth of the oyster industry in the bay has had 

 much to do with it. This point will be considered later. 



In Jamaica bay, the little-neck is said to be abundant still, but 

 in the short time at our disposal, it was not thoroughly examined. 



On the sound shore, from Hempstead harbor eastward, most of 

 the towns on the numerous small bays were visited; and it was the 

 almost universal testimony, that, while V e n u s had formerly been 

 taken in great numbers, the last two or three years had shown a 

 surprising diminution in the number. 



It will be seen, by comparing this with the report on M y a, that 

 the results are practically identical. In Peconic bay and contiguous 

 waters, and apparently in Jamaica bay, both clams are still taken in 

 numbers. Almost everywhere else, both have practically failed, or 

 are failing with great rapidity. 



While we have described at some length the habits of M y a, and 

 outlined a plan for its artificial culture, the life history of Venus 

 is almost entirely unknown. There is evidently great need for such 

 knowledge at present. 



