Part 26

The clam flats at Truro are confined principally to the Pamet River. At the mouth of this river near the head of the harbor bar is a sand flat comprising several acres, where the bulk of the clams are produced. In South Truro, Stony Bar and other similar patches of rocky beach are fairly well bedded with clams. Scattering clams are found over the shifting bars which skirt the main land on the bay side, but nowhere are clams sufficiently abundant to warrant any serious attempt at exportation. Fifteen to twenty years ago clams were everywhere much more abundant in this region than now, and in those days some market digging was carried on. At present the needs of the home market are with difficulty supplied from the local production, and 100 bushels per year would cover all clams dug both for food and bait. No effort has at any time been made by the town authorities to increase the industry, though the clam fishery, at least in the sheltered coves of Pamet River, is not without possibilities of development.

SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.

Number of men, 1 Capital invested, $2 Production, 1907:-- Bushels, 50 Value, $60 Total area (acres):-- Sand, 50 Mud, -- Gravel, -- Mussels and eel grass, -- Total, 50 Productive area (acres):-- Good clamming, 1 Scattering clams, 2 Barren area possibly productive (acres), 47 Waste barren area (acres), -- Possible normal production, $5,000

_Provincetown._

For the last five years the flats of Provincetown have produced only a small amount of clams. Wherever clams have set in abundance they have been quickly dug by fishermen for bait, thus checking their natural propagation.

Clams are found in the drains among the thatch beds on the southwest side of the harbor and in Race Run, while a considerable set is scattered between the wharves of the town. All the extensive flats at the southwest end of the harbor are entirely barren of clams, owing chiefly to the shifting nature of the sand, although on certain parts of these, especially near the thatch, clams would grow if planted. As it is, the shifting sand makes it impossible for the young clams to set on this area.

SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.

Number of men, 5 Capital invested, $15 Production, 1907:-- Bushels, 400 Value, $320 Total area (acres):-- Sand, 400 Mud, - Gravel, - Mussels and eel grass, - Total, 400 Productive area (acres):-- Good clamming, 3 Scattering clams, 3 Barren area possibly productive (acres), 200 Waste barren area (acres), 194 Possible normal production, $21,000

_Chatham._

Chatham can no longer be considered as the best clam-producing town of southern Massachusetts. In 1879 Chatham produced a greater quantity of soft clams than all the rest of the Cape; to-day all has changed, and the annual output is far less than several other towns of the Cape district.

The town of Chatham is situated in the southeastern portion of Cape Cod, and includes that part which is commonly called the "elbow" of the Cape. It is surrounded on the north, east and south sides by the ocean, while on the south the peninsula known as Monomoy Island extends for 9 miles.

The clamming territory of Chatham is situated in Stage harbor, Pleasant Bay and at Monomoy Point.

In Stage harbor clams are found along the sides of the Mill Pond, comprising possibly an acre, and in the eastern end of the harbor toward the dike, where about 3 acres of flats are thickly set.

An extended area of sand flats are found in Pleasant Bay. But small parts of this area furnish good clamming, and the Common Flats on the inside of Monomoy Island, where once there were acres of good clams, now lie entirely barren except for a small patch of set just north of Brant Island, comprising about 1/5 of an acre. Here are about 100 acres of barren flats which only need planting to be made productive.

The commercial clam fishery, of the town is carried on at Monomoy Point, where 5 acres of the best clamming in Massachusetts is found. The Powder Hole flats, formed of coarse, clean sand, are thickly set with clams of all sizes, and furnish excellent digging. A good clammer can obtain from 5 to 6 bushels per tide from these flats.

Clams are dug at Chatham during the fishing season chiefly for bait. Such digging lasts through the fall and winter. In the summer, clams are dug only for food, as no cod fishing is conducted in the warm months. From 10 to 15 men were engaged in clamming during the summer of 1907, travelling from Chatham to Monomoy Point in power or sail dories. Practically all the clams dug came from the Powder Hole flats at Monomoy Point. These were purchased at Chatham wharf by fish firms at the price of $2 per barrel.

The winter clam fishery of Chatham was once an important industry, which started in 1875 when clams were in great demand as fish bait. The following table shows how this industry has declined:--

=============================+=========+========= | 1879. | 1907. -----------------------------+---------+--------- Number of men, | 150 | 10 Annual production (bushels), | 35,000 | 1,500 Value of production, | $12,250 | $1,200 Price per bushel (cents), | 35 | 80 Capital invested, | $2,000 | $400 =============================+=========+=========

Owing to the large amount of clams dug by fishing vessels, the following restrictions were incorporated in 1881 as a State law, which reads as follows:--

No fisherman or any other person shall take from the towns of Chatham and Nantucket any shellfish, for bait or other use, except clams and a shellfish commonly known by the name of horse feet, and no quantity exceeding seven bushels of clams, including shells or one hundred of said horse feet shall be taken in one week for each vessel or craft, nor in any case without a permit being first obtained from the selectmen of the town.

SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.

Number of men, 10 Capital invested, $400 Production, 1907:-- Bushels, 1,500 Value, $1,200 Total area (acres):-- Sand, 330 Mud, 10 Gravel, 20 Mussels and eel grass, - Total, 360 Productive area (acres):-- Good clamming, 10 Scattering clams, 50 Barren area possibly productive (acres), 300 Waste barren area (acres), - Possible normal production, $44,000

_Harwich._

The town of Harwich possesses but little clam area. A few clams are obtainable on the shores of Pleasant Bay and Mud Creek in limited localities, while in the southern waters of the town there is some digging in Wychmere harbor and in Herring River. The total area of clam flats is not more than 1½ acres.

There are no regular clammers engaged in the business, all the clams dug being used only for home consumption.

In 1905 there was a town law restricting the digging in Wychmere harbor, except for bait, to one day in the week.

COMPARISON OF 1907 WITH 1879.

========+============+==========+====== YEAR. | Production | Value. | Men. | (Bushels). | | --------+------------+----------+------ 1879, | 1,125 | $400 | 15 1907, | 100 | 100 | - ========+============+==========+======

SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.

Number of men, - Capital invested, - Production, 1907:-- Bushels, 100 Value, $80 Total area (acres):-- Sand, 10 Mud, 10 Gravel, 10 Mussels and eel grass, - Total, 30 Productive area (acres):-- Good clamming, 1 Scattering clams, 5 Barren area possibly productive (acres), 10 Waste barren area (acres), 14 Possible normal production, $2,400

_Dennis._

As the town of Dennis has mutual fishery rights with the town of Yarmouth, the clam flats of Bass River, which lie between the towns, are free to any inhabitant of Dennis. A few clams are also dug in Swan Pond River.

SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.

Number of men, - Capital invested, - Production, 1907:-- Bushels, 50 Value, $45 Total area (acres):-- Sand, 25 Mud, 15 Gravel, 10 Mussels and eel grass, - Total, 50 Productive area (acres):-- Good clamming, 1 Scattering clams, 4 Barren area possibly productive (acres), 30 Waste barren area (acres), 15 Possible normal production, $4,200

_Mashpee._

The clam fishery at Mashpee is of hardly sufficient proportions to rank as an industry. The shores of the Popponesset River furnish perhaps favorable conditions for the growth of this shellfish, but the available territory is small, not exceeding 50 acres, and of this only a small percentage, comprising scattered patches of gravel-mud, produces clams in any abundance.

No effort is made at exportation for market, and under the present circumstances it is doubtful if a greater yield than that required to supply home consumption could be expected. No effort is made on the part of local legislation to control the industry or foster it in any way.

SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.

Number of men, 2 Capital invested, $20 Production, 1907:-- Bushels, 50 Value, $45 Total area (acres):-- Sand, 20 Mud, 5 Gravel, 20 Mussels and eel grass, 5 Total, 50 Productive area (acres):-- Good clamming, 2 Scattering clams, 8 Barren area possibly productive (acres), 30 Waste barren area (acres), 10 Possible normal production, $5,400

_Buzzards Bay._

The section of Massachusetts bordering the shores of Buzzards Bay supports a flourishing quahaug, oyster and scallop fishery, capable of great development. The clam industry, however, never very extensive, is of very slight significance at present, and can never attain the same degree of importance as the other shellfisheries, owing to the limited area available for clams. To those familiar with the harbors of Newburyport and Duxbury and their vast tidal flats with their latent possibilities, the shores of Buzzards Bay present indeed a notable contrast. Bluff and hilly for the most part, and frequently rocky, nowhere do they show extensive flats suitable for clam culture. That clams grow wherever opportunity permits is evident, for they are found on gravelly stretches or among rocks all along the coast, except in those localities openly exposed to the full force of the sea. But allowing for all possible favorable features, the lack of any considerable territory is a disadvantage that will forever act as a barrier to any expansion. Falmouth and Dartmouth on the east and west sides of Buzzards Bay respectively differ materially from the remaining towns of the district, in the fact that the characteristic soil of their clam grounds is sand; while the other towns have little in the shape of available territory except gravel stretches along the shores of coves, small areas of mud, and the rocky beaches of points and headlands. The yearly output hardly anywhere suffices for the needs of home consumption. Nowhere is any attempt at exportation possible. The business, such as it is, is carried on in a very intermittent fashion, chiefly in the summer, with but a small investment of capital.

Special local regulation seems to remain aloof from the problem of insuring a future clam supply. That the combined area of all the towns of Buzzards Bay does not equal that of a single town in the Cape Ann district is an undeniable truth; but the fact nevertheless remains that an industry far more considerable than exists at present could be supported, and it is truly to the interest of the towns of this region to make the best possible use of their limited advantages.

_Falmouth._

Falmouth has a long coast line not only on Buzzards Bay but also on Vineyard Sound. The flats at North and West Falmouth on the bay side are similar to those of Wareham and Bourne, though there are several small patches of quite good digging. On the southern shore there are clams scattered along the coasts of the various indentations, particularly at Waquoit Bay.

SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.

Number of men, - Capital invested, - Production, 1907:-- Bushels, 200 Value, $175 Total area (acres):-- Sand, 40 Mud, 5 Gravel, 5 Mussels and eel grass, - Total, 50 Productive area (acres):-- Good clamming, 2 Scattering clams, 8 Barren area possibly productive (acres), 40 Waste barren area (acres), - Possible normal production, $6,400

_Bourne._

The clam industry at Bourne is practically extinct. Scarcely any clamming is carried on by the inhabitants of the town, even for their own use, as clams have become so scattering that it hardly pays to dig them. The territory is much the same in extent and general character as that of Wareham, but it has been over-dug to a greater degree, and has become nearly barren.

SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.

Number of men, - Capital invested, - Production, 1907:-- Bushels, 100 Value, $100 Total area (acres):-- Sand, 5 Mud, 5 Gravel, 30 Mussels and eel grass, - Total, 40 Productive area (acres):-- Good clamming, - Scattering clams, 30 Barren area possibly productive (acres), - Waste barren area (acres), 10 Possible normal production, $6,000

_Wareham._

Wareham leads the towns of Buzzards Bay in the production of clams, although its annual output is only 600 bushels. This clearly shows the low ebb to which the industry has fallen in this region.

There are no true tide flats in Wareham, but the total area of the mud-gravel and rocky bottom between high and low water mark where scattering clams are found is nearly 100 acres. There are no regular fishermen, but some half dozen quahaugers dig clams from time to time, chiefly during the summer, to supply the home market.

The industry, such as it is, appears to be about stationary at present, though in production it has declined notably during the last twenty years. The town officials have attempted no measures to revive the failing fishery, and no town laws affect it in any way.

SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.

Number of men, 6 Capital invested, $100 Production, 1907:-- Bushels, 800 Value, $800 Total area (acres):-- Sand, 15 Mud, 10 Gravel, 75 Mussels and eel grass, - Total, 100 Productive area (acres):-- Good clamming, - Scattering clams, 50 Barren area possibly productive (acres), - Waste barren area (acres), 50 Possible normal production, $10,000

_Marion._

The wealthy summer residents at Marion create a demand for clams at a very substantial price. In spite of the increased price, there is little inducement to engage in this industry as a livelihood, and only 1 man digs steadily through the summer months, though intermittent digging is done by others to supply the local market.

The best clamming is on the east coast of Great Neck and in Wing's Cove. These grounds are difficult of access, and consequently have not been so much overworked as the nearer shores of Ram's Island, Allan's Point and Blankinship's Cove. The total area does not exceed 10 acres, and this for the most part is very poor territory; while the clams coming from these rock and gravel beaches are not of very good quality, the shells being usually gnarled and crooked.

There is no town legislation relating to this industry, and though it is becoming of less consequence every year, nothing is done to revive it.

SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.

Number of men, 1 Capital invested, $15 Production, 1907:-- Bushels, 100 Value, $100 Total area (acres):-- Sand, - Mud, - Gravel, 10 Mussels and eel grass, - Total, 10 Productive area (acres):-- Good clamming, - Scattering clams, 10 Barren area possibly productive (acres), - Waste barren area (acres), - Possible normal production, $2,000

_Mattapoisett._

The coast of Mattapoisett, more open and exposed than that of Fairhaven, does not offer equal advantages to the cultivation of clams. A similar strip of gravel-mud or sand occurs along the more sheltered portions of the coast, and wherever an indentation in the mainland offers shelter clams may be found, though never in sufficient quantities to make digging profitable. There is really no industry at all; the few clams that are dug go for home trade or are used as bait, and the prospects of any decided improvement appear to be slight.

SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.

Number of men, 1 Capital invested, $15 Production, 1907:-- Bushels, 100 Value, $100 Total area (acres):-- Sand, - Mud, 5 Gravel, 5 Mussels and eel grass, - Total, 10 Productive area (acres):-- Good clamming, - Scattering clams, 10 Barren area possibly productive (acres), - Waste barren area (acres), - Possible normal production, $2,000

_Fairhaven._

The clam industry at Fairhaven suffers from the unsanitary condition of the flats, though in a lesser degree than at New Bedford. The finest clam grounds of this town lie in the proscribed district of the Acushnet River, and handling or eating shellfish from this area is a positive menace to the public health.

A strip of gravel-mud about 100 feet in average width fringes the shores of Priest's Cove, and this strip furnishes at present the best digging. Scattered patches of clams occur along the indentations of Sconticut Neck, around West Island and along the coast of Little Bay. No men are regularly employed in digging clams, though a rather inefficient attempt is made at times to supply the local demand.

SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.

Number of men, - Capital invested, - Production, 1907:-- Bushels, 100 Value, $100 Total area (acres):-- Sand, - Mud, 25 Gravel, 25 Mussels and eel grass, - Total, 50 Productive area (acres):-- Good clamming, - Scattering clams, 25 Barren area possibly productive (acres), 25 Waste barren area (acres), - Possible normal production, $7,500

_New Bedford._