  Barnstable:—
The above characters, as used on the following maps, indicate the position and relative quantities of the various shellfish in their respective localities. No attempt is made to give the relative abundance of scallops and oysters, while the present productive value of the different clam and quahaug areas is indicated by different standards of marking.
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The Scallop Pusher.—This implement consists of a wooden pole, from 8 to 9 feet long, attached to a rectangular iron framework, 3 by 1½ feet, fitted with a netting bag, 3 feet in depth. The scalloper, wading in the shallow water, gathers the scallops from the flats by shoving the pusher among the eel grass. The photograph shows the correct position of the pusher in operation. Only a small part of the pole is shown.
The Box Scallop Dredge.—This dredge consists of a rectangular framework, 27 by 12 inches, with an oval-shaped iron bar extending backward as a support for the netting bag, which is attached to the rectangular frame. To the sides of this frame is joined a heavy iron chain about 4 feet long, to which the drag rope is fastened. This style of dredge is used only at Chatham and the neighboring towns of Cape Cod.
Scallop Dredge,—"The Scraper."—This implement has the form of a triangular iron framework, with a curve of nearly 90° at the base, to form the bowl of the dredge. On the upper side a raised cross bar connects the two arms, while at the bottom a strip of iron 2 inches wide extends across the dredge. This narrow strip acts as a scraping blade, and is set at an angle so as to dig into the soil. The top of the net is fastened to the cross bar and the lower part to the blade. The usual dimensions of the dredge are: arms, 2½ feet; upper cross bar, 2 feet; blade, 2½ feet. The net varies in size, usually running from 2 to 3 feet in length and holding between 1 and 2 bushels. Additional weights can be put on the cross bar when the scalloper desires the dredge to "scrape" deeper. A wooden bar 2 feet long buoys the net. The scraper used at Nantucket has the entire net made of twine, whereas in other localities the lower part consists of interwoven iron rings.
The Oyster Dredge.—This is the type of oyster dredge used on the large gasolene boats. The photograph was taken on board the oyster boat of Mr. James Monahan of Wareham. The dredge consists of a net of woven iron rings attached to an iron framework. From each corner of the framework rods extend, converging at a point some feet away, where the drag rope is attached. The blade, resting horizontally on the surface, is armed with large teeth which rake the oysters into the bag. When this bag, which holds from 8 to 15 bushels, is full, the dredge is raised by a gasolene hoist.
The Basket Quahaug Rake.—This style of basket rake is used at Edgartown and Nantucket. The whole rake is made of iron, no netting being required, as thin iron wires 1/3 of an inch apart encircle lengthwise the entire basket, preventing the escape of any marketable quahaugs, while at the same time allowing mud and sand to wash out. This rake has 16 steel teeth, 1½ inches long, fitted at intervals of 1 inch on the scraping bar. The depth of the basket is about 8 inches. Short poles not exceeding 30 feet in length are used, as the raking is carried on in water which does not exceed 25 feet in depth. Only the iron framework of the rake is shown.
The Claw Quahaug Rake.—This rake varies greatly in size and length. Its use is chiefly confined to Nantucket. The general style has a handle 6 feet long, while the iron part, in the form of a claw or talon, with prongs 1 inch apart, is 10 inches wide. A heavier rake, as here shown, is sometimes used in the deeper water.
The Scallop Rake.—The use of this rake is confined almost exclusively to the town of Chatham. Both scallops and quahaugs can be taken with it. The bowl is formed by a curve of the prongs, which are held together by two long cross bars at the top and bottom of the basket, while the ends are enclosed by short strips of iron. Handles from 15 to 20 feet long are generally used with this rake.
Rowley Reef Clam Set.—This photograph shows the surface of Rowley Reef, one of the flats of Plum Island Sound. In the summer of 1906 a heavy set of clams was found on this flat, averaging 1,500 to the square foot of surface. These rapidly diminished, and one year later, Aug. 27, $1 when this photograph was taken, the clams numbered about 400 to the square foot. This area furnished an excellent illustration of the great destruction of natural clam set. Only 5 per cent. of these clams reached maturity, and the remaining 95 per cent., destroyed by natural agencies, could have been saved if proper measures had been taken. At least 100 acres of the barren flats of Rowley could have been planted with the "seed" from this flat, and after two years the crop would have been worth $30,000. The present shellfish laws of the Commonwealth are alone to blame for this waste. The clam hoe shown in the foreground is the typical digger or "hooker" of the North Shore clammer.
Rowley Reef.—This photograph, taken on the same date as the preceding, shows another section of the reef, where the clam set has been torn up and destroyed by horse-shoe crabs and cockles.
Rowley Reef.—A photograph, natural size, of a thickly set part of the same flat. The broken shells on top show clams which have been crowded out of the sand and destroyed. In this way nature regulates the number of clams in a given area.
Castle Neck Flat (Essex River).—A scene at low tide, Aug. 28, 1907, showing the area turned over by two clammers in one hour. At this date there was a heavy set of small clams on this flat.
Plymouth Harbor.—This photograph was taken at low tide, from the boat house of Mr. Frank Cole. In the foreground are a few of the experimental clam beds of the Massachusetts department of fisheries and game. Note the large tracts of eel grass covering the flats.
Cole's Clam Grant.—This photograph shows a portion of the grant leased to Mr. Frank Cole by the town of Kingston for the propagation of clams. Several of the experimental beds of the Massachusetts department of fisheries and game were situated on this grant.
Clam Spat Box.—This box was suspended from a raft during the summer of 1907. The small clams which were caught in it are heaped before the box. These clams vary in size from ½ to 2 inches in length, showing that the spawning season is at least of two months' duration. The spat box was put down May 15 and taken up October 15. Note the barnacles, silver shells (Anomia), etc., on the box and rope.
A Clam Shanty.—The shanty of Samuel Kilbourn, an experienced Ipswich clammer. The large heap of shells is the result of six weeks of steady digging. Numerous shanties of this sort are used for "shucking out" clams when marketed by the gallon. This photograph also shows the clam sifter which was used in obtaining the small "seed" clams from Rowley Reef for the experimental beds.
Taking up One of the Clam Gardens of the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Game.—The bed was planted Nov. 15, 1905, in Essex River, on a sand flat locally known as "Newfoundland." When the bed was planted the flat was considered barren, as it produced practically no clams. The photograph was obtained Nov. 15, 1907, when the bed was taken up, and shows the clammers at work. Note the heaps of marketable clams which were taken from the bed.
Yield in Two Years of the Garden shown in the Preceding Photograph.—Note the amount of clams planted, compared with the marketable clams taken out. The size of the bed was 1/100 of an acre. The clams had increased in size so that 8 quarts were obtained for every quart planted. This shows what could be done with many barren flats if individuals had the privilege of cultivating clam farms.
The Winkle or Cockle (Lunatia heros and duplicata).—An enemy of the clam, which it destroys by boring a hole through the shell and sucking out the contents.
Clam Growth.—This photograph gives a comparison between the growth of small and large clams from a single bed under the same natural conditions. The large clam shows a much slower growth than the small. Both clams were notched when planted on the "Spit" in Essex River, April 18, 1907. They were dug Aug. 28, 1907.
Soft-shelled Clam (Mya arenaria).—This large clam shell, measuring 5¾ inches in length, was found on Grey's Flat, Kingston. Where the flat has been worn away by erosion the ground is white with thousands of these shells in an upright position in the soil, showing that sudden destruction had overtaken them at some time in the past.
Quahaugs from an Experimental Bed at Monomoy Point, showing Two Years' Growth.—The two notches or file marks on the shells indicate the growth per year. The photograph is two-thirds life size. These quahaugs have shown rapid growth, having gained nearly 1 inch a year in length, which is the best growth thus far found in any of the experimental beds.
Gathering "Seed" Oysters in the Weweantit River, Wareham, May 6, 1908.—The natural beds of the town of Wareham had been closed for seven years, and on this date were opened for the period of one week for the inhabitants of the town to gather "seed" oysters, the photograph was taken on the opening day, and shows the oystermen at work tonging the "seed" oysters. In the foreground is a loaded skiff, ready to have its contents estimated by the inspector, who declares the number of bushels. The tongers pay the town 10 cents per bushel for the privilege of gathering the oysters, and sell them for 35 cents per bushel to the planters, thus realizing a profit of 25 cents.
Typical Steam Dredger.—The oyster boat of Mr. James Monahan of Wareham, showing oyster dredge and hoist. The large cans aboard the boat contain young flatfish from the Woods Hole Hatchery of the United States Fish Commission. Mr. Monahan is distributing these in Wareham river.
Typical Oyster Schooner.—Oyster schooner loaded with 1,935 bushels of Wareham "seed" for L. Dodge, Providence River. This "seed" was taken in May, 1908, from the natural oyster bed in the Agawam River, which had been closed for the past three years. |
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