■ OF MASSACHUSETTS. 81 



While the possibilities of future development are not as alluring as 

 in the other shellfisheries, yet much can be done to assist nature and 

 help preserve the supply. Wise laws and well-directed efforts can save 

 many bushels of the young scallops which yearly die on the exposed 

 flats where they have set in unfavorable places. 



Scope of the Report. — The object of this report is to present certain 

 information concerning the scallop industry which will be of use to the 

 scallop fishermen, and of interest to the general public and the con- 

 sumers. While the scallop is well known as an article of food, the 

 majority of people know little about the animal. It will therefore be 

 necessary in the following report to give brief descriptions of the vari- 

 ous methods used in the capture of this bivalve, in order to make clear 

 the more technical portions. 



The first part of the report considers the general results of the sur- 

 vey, the history of the industry, the scallop laws, the methods of scal- 

 loping and the statistics of the industry. The second part gives a more 

 detailed description, the following points being considered under each 

 town: (1) survey; (2) statistics of industry; (3) town laws; (4) 

 history. 



Methods of Work. — Several difficulties stand in the way of procur- 

 ing exact information concerning the scallop industry, especially in re- 

 gard to historical data which should show the improvement or decline 

 of the fishery. The town records are uicomplete, lost, or furnish but 

 slight information. Little has been written about this industry, and 

 we were thus forced to rely upon the scaUopers for information con- 

 cerning the history and former production of each town. Fortunately, 

 the scallop industry is of recent origin (thirty years), and the infor- 

 mation is very nearly correct. By the use of town records, market 

 reports, records of express shipments, personal surveys and estimates 

 by the various scallopers, and by all other methods at our command, the 

 facts of the last few years have been obtained in an approximately 

 correct form. 



The area of the scallop territory was obtained by personal inspection 

 and calculated by plottings on the maps. In designating the area suit- 

 able for scallops in any town by a certain number of acres or by plot- 

 tings on the map, it does not mean that scallops are found each year 

 over all this territory. Allowances must be made for the uncertainty 

 of the scallop supply. Some years there will be no scallops; in other 

 years, plenty. Even when scallops are plentiful, they rarely cover the 

 whole territory, but are found only in certain parts in different years. 

 The designation of an area as scallop territory means that scallops have 

 been found in the past over this territory, and that the natural con- 

 ditions of the territory appear favorable for scallops. 



