OF MASSACHUSETTS. 117 



liaug and oyster fisheries, that the public understand the exact situation, 

 and this is possible only through a published account of each industry. 



Scope of the Report. — The object of the report is to furnish infor- 

 mation which -will be of value both to the oysterman and to the con- 

 sumer. Primarily the report is for the oysterman, showing the extent of 

 the industry in his own locality and in other parts of the coast, where 

 perhaps he is unacquainted with the conditions. While exact facts are 

 presented for the benefit of the oysterman, this report at the same time 

 tries to give a general description of the industry for the consumer, who 

 perhaps knows nothing of the oyster except as an article of food. 



The first part of the report has been arranged under the following 

 headings: (1) the natural oyster beds; (2) results of the survey; (3) 

 history of the industry; (4) the oyster laws; (5) the oyster industry; 

 (6) general statistics. The second part considers separately the in- 

 dustry of each town or section. 



Methods of Work. — The statistical figures for the oyster industry 

 are reasonably complete as the oyster fishery is on a more systematic 

 business basis than any of the other shellflsheries. Nevertheless, on cer- 

 tain points it was impossible to obtain absolutely correct information, as, 

 for instance, the area of grants, since no survey is made of the grants 

 when leased, and the oysterman himself does not know the exact area of 

 his granted territory. Thus an estimate has to be made by each oyster- 

 man of his granted area, and, while this is approximately correct, it 

 cannot be considered as absolutely true. 



The statistical returns were compiled by sending to each oysterman 

 in the State a blank form, containing a series of questions, with the 

 request that he would co-operate with the commission by answering. 

 Many oystermen responded with complete answers, thus permitting the 

 commission, through their aid. to publish an extended report on the 

 oyster fishery. However, it was found impossible to obtain complete 

 information from several towns, as a number of oystermen neglected 

 to return these blanks. The return of each oysterman is filed at the 

 oflSce of the Commission on Fisheries and Game, and only the total 

 for each town is published, thus treating as confidential the private 

 business of individuals. The commission expresses a most cordial 

 acknowledgment to the oystermen for their co-operation in this matter. 



The other parts of the report were obtained by personal inspection 

 of the oyster beds as to their biological conditions, by means of town 

 records, and interviews with the oystermen. Town records, which 

 should have given the location, number and areas of the grants, proved 

 nearly worthless in most cases, owing to incompleteness, loss and con- 

 fusion. Owing to the frequent change in selectmen, little if any infor- 

 mation could be obtained from this source, as the new selectmen were 

 generally unacquainted with the work of their predecessors concerning 

 the leasing of oyster grants. The grants were often incompletely de- 

 scribed, bounds uncertain and the acreage unknown. 



