Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-28
REVIVE SHELlFiSHERIES.
The Industry May be Increased Ten
fold in Massachusetts.

There are possibilities for development
OF the Shclliish industries in MaSSachu-
ScttS 10 many times the present proper
IONS. These industries lave declined IN
previous years because the ShclltiSh an
50 little understood. but the Commission
crS On Fisheries and Game are now en-
gagged in an investigation which is in
t'nocd To determine Hhat methods may
be used to increase the animal yield.
Ihr opportunities for development are
allurnS. they say in tleir preliminary
report. The conditions parallel those of
agriculture except that in case of marine
farming the crops are NOR" CettIn. /. =,
are not subject TO SO many fatalities. Tho
money value ot the crop per acre - oni:
'qual!fd by the result of the most inten-
SlFc i"l ming. Net rloht of 500 to $1,000
nHi,% lTT ',frt ar@ !requrht The e,,ntai r. -
guido and Ia assist nature IS sIiant. III,
labor IS practically limited to the harV's't
! nat we ere not today securing the
nEt,,lmum Nirid Of thc areas ~.'r
growing ShclliiSh is due to the increased
demand. which has l"d 10 unsNS.c.l .t4v
digging of CLAIMS and tn" destruction of
seed scaliors. On cur COASTS the area =
tween tide marks was formerly inhabited
by huge quantities Of soft clams and til"
muddy patches Just below low-water
rlark produced great numbers OF uti.,-
creeks We're extensive native oyster beds.
tn our shoals it was possible to gather
hundreds of thousands ni buSlit!S OF scat
lnps. Today all is changed. In Il frw
places II is still possible to ct a relatively
few ciamS and uUlhauCS The Sc1ntr
Weld of sclllops Will not exceed 30,00
gallons. The natural "Nst'r beds have III!
hui disappeared. either iShed out ur
buried under the debris of civilization.
The total yield of the shcllfishcrics is
va'Icd at close 10 $00G60 annually. Yet
tn" areas can again he made to produce
the normal yield. The value OF the AN
nual catch should Il" ir'r""rc| t.. T.
and incidentally furnish increased oppor-
tuiitc< fcr ldhpr trl coop, r.. lln.- ,n<
companies. ana ON, all along me hnc. ,
"rhc work upon tn" food molIS5S ha.'
been carried on under the general dir-c
ton of The chairman. ana imnlrdi ttciy in
"hHr%p of Professor james H. Kellogg of
Williams College. perhaps the host an
thCTity ON this contintn mt upon the clam
and oyster. The work has been done by
the biologist to til" Cormssinn. d. i
Folding. assisted by X. l.. BuIum ard
others.
"fxpcrimcnts are being made to dct"r-
mine the rate Of growth Of the clam, seal
lnp and qItIhlug. the conditions iniiIu ne
ing their growth and the development ut
beds. Upon what has been done ALREADY
the commission htSr:S til" conclusion thai
hundreds Of ceres of clam fats whicn
are unprodrCtivc can he rrci,:mcd ANA
made profitable A biOlOE'ca survey uI
the Massachusetts clam flats is now und"r
way. with the following objects in view:
Cd probable area Of clam producing fttS:
t2I the area of barren flats capable of pro-
Gucin% CLAIMS under proper cultivat.oa; @
those flats which can Dc cultivated at
slight expense, and those At greater cN-
pcns"; G) biological conditions of thC@r
fats"
Ia conclusion The biologist saws: Dur
ing my summers work two things, which
| should like to bring before ihc Com
miSsiuuorS, hay" crnc to imN attention.
III" first is i'll REGARD 10 the lcn.sth Of thj
Scallcp season. Til" present season AZ
lows ScHllops to be taken from Oct. | un-
til Anril l. ! should like tn present tE,'
question of changing the opening Of The
season fr"n7 rrt. 10 Ncv. |. My reasons
for this are twofold. First. the scallop
grows considerably during III" month OF
October. and 4 would he an advantage tn
have II larger and better Scalnp. Mn Soc
ond reason is perhaps stronger. as il con
c'fnS the rSncrmCn directly The fact
that men who Sc%llop 3rn forced to give
IN their other fishing ANA begin ScalInp-
ing at once. 50 that they may get their
share of perhaps Il more lut rltiVc indlc-
try is a disadvantag" t" "ur fisheries, a~
these men could have made 4 Ewing the
month Of Nctcbcr at other fishing. have
Snok"n with many fishermen. and they
favor later season, for that reason.
Without doubt the ch;ngc would be III
favor with 4 large numhrr ~ iiShcrmrn.
owing to til" present @carc:ty Of Scullnp>
and the exceptional COdtiSi':n@ i'll Vine
yard Sound.
secondly, ! should Ike t" cnll attention |
to tho disadvantages caused hy town con
trOl of our shclliiSr"r't- ono town mHy
make a law to oiTrS" another town. ana
will cItcn injrr" its c"n int rests thereby. |
IN his connection tnc condition If Dennis |
during t!" Winter Of i"Ai--. was an in |
stance. .\s Sr1ilop& were remarkably |
abundant thc town mad" bylaws intend |
"a {" rNcud" from its @c:til"p fisheries thr |
residents nf other towns NJ I'll" ri.Sn "i
the ScallnpirG season tn. =rHlurS war''
still abundant. THIS r"ar they brlicf,"d
thcy would "ct tir l'si. Not = Sin,I"
had died. If otH'r 50" ,lior~ Nad boon nj
lowed to 90 there tnuus nd; ui dollar; |
cn1il1 hIv" been SHN"d and n'ur Sct'l!nnr
.,fvcn "mplnynrrlt Tii, * uriv nuc cae.. |