The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-09-12
Wealth in CLANS.
Cultivated. They Will Yield $3.50 to
the Acre.

"Along the jagged and deeply notched
seacoast of Name" said Fish Warden
Sullivan, few days ago, ''are more
than 5000 miles of water front that is
inundated twice day with the tides
from the Atlantic ocean
Rough measurements made by United
States engineers place the total length
of the shelving beaches capable of
growing clans at about 500 miles, and
the average width of these beaches is
estimated at four rods, so there are 16O,-
900 acres of half. submerged land suit
able for growing CLAIMS in Maine, and ali
of this is ready for the reception of
seeding clans, besides perhaps 5000
acres of clam flats to spare on the shores
of the outlying islands, which are very
abundant, more than 1000 being in
Penobscot Bay alone.
''Now, actual experiments conducted
at Popham Beach, near the mouth of
the Kennebec River and at the head of
Isle au Haul, in Penobscot Bay, have
demonstrated that an acre of fine, but
not closely compacted beach sand, which
is covered by the tide twice in "a hours,
is capable of yielding 212 barrels of clans
that are three or more inches in length
and will yield this amount every year,
provided that the flats are sowed to
young seed clans annually and the
seed is plowed in to the depth of eight
inches, or perhaps less, though eight
inches have given the best results.
ga headed barrel of clans in good
condition brings 81 rs in the Boston mar
ket, of which 81 now goes to the men
who dig the crop, though the diggers
could earn 81 tide on so cents barrel
if the land were planted to its full capa-
city. Ten cents barrel will cover the
freight bills from the flats to Boston by
steamboat, showing a net profit of $l37.
50 an acre every year from clam culture
in Maine, or a total profit of So, 204, 800
for the 100, 900 acres. The clam flats in
Maine are now producing total output
of 1855, 900 annually, of which more than
SO per cent, is paid for digging and
freight.
For more than decade lecturers
have been telling the farmers institutes
of the country about the amazing profits
the farmers of Aroostook County were
making from their potatoes, showing
how greenhorns from Massachusetts and
New York have gone to Caribou and
other towns in northern Maine, have run
in debt for farms and fertilizers, and
paid OFT every DILL with the first harvest.
These statements were all true.
at is equally true that 500 bushels is
considered a remarkable crop of mer-
charitable potatoes to the acre and that
81 per BARRE of 2 1-2 bushels is about
the average price paid for Aroostook
potatoes delivered at the railroad sta
ton. The Aroostook farmer has to buy
his seed and fertilizers. he must plough
and harrow his land, drop and cover and
hoe his crop, apply poison twice every
every summer to kill the Colorado potato
beetles and then dig, sort and house his
crop before he can think of taking it to
market.
"When the Maine clam farmer re-
ceives Legislative protection and he can
take out title deeds to his land he will be
able to grow barrel of CLANS at half
the cost the Aroostook farmer pays for
his potatoes. First he will have to put
out no money for phosphates or other
dressing, as the Atlantic tides bring him
fresh fertilizers and place them right
above the CLANS every day. He will
never have to worry about buying seeds.
because an adult clam three or more
inches in length produces from 500, 600 to
500, 600 every year.