The Mollusk Fisheries of Massachusetts

Statistics of the Quahaug Fishery

In the following table the towns are arranged in alphabetical order, and the list includes only those towns which now possess a commercial quahaug fishery. In giving the number of men, both transient and regular quahaugers are included. In estimating the capital invested, the boats, implements, shanties and gear of the quahauger are alone considered, and personal apparel, such as oilskins, boots, etc., are not taken into account. The value of the production for each town is based upon what the quahaugers receive for their quahaugs, and not the price they bring in the market. The area of quahaug territory given for each town includes all ground where quahaugs are found, both thick beds and scattering quahaugs.

Town.	Number of Men.	Capital invested.	Number of Boats.	Number of Dories and Skiffs.	1907 Production.		Area in Acres.	Value of Yield per Acre.
					Bushels.	Value.
Barnstable,	25	$850	—	25	2,500	$3,700	950	$3.95
Bourne,	46	1,000	—	46	5,400	8,400	2,500	3.36
Chatham,	50	5,750	25	25	6,700	10,000	2,000	5.00
Dennis,	15	150	—	10	500	950	200	4.75
Eastham,	25	8,000	12	—	10,000	11,500	4,000	2.87
Edgartown,	70	12,000	42	18	20,000	32,000	1,800	17.77
Fairhaven,	115	5,000	11	100	15,000	16,500	3,000	5.50
Falmouth,	—	—	—	—	100	115	400	.29
Harwich,	7	200	—	7	1,500	2,550	100	25.50
Marion,	19	250	—	19	800	1,500	400	3.75
Mashpee,	7	70	—	5	250	285	400	.71
Mattapoisett,	28	500	—	28	800	1,500	750	2.00
Nantucket,	48	6,750	30	10	6,294	8,487	5,290	1.60
Orleans,	75	25,000	30	25	33,000	41,350	1,500	27.56
Wareham,	50	1,000	—	50	6,000	10,500	1,300	8.08
Wellfleet,	145	27,500	100	—	33,000	41,350	2,500	16.54
Yarmouth,	20	240	—	10	2,200	4,000	1,000	4.00
Totals,	745	94,260	250	378	144,044	194,687	28,090	Average
$6.93