A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of MassachusettsMassachusetts. Commissioners on Fisheries and Game
Science
A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of Massachusetts
Massachusetts. Commissioners on Fisheries and Game
Shellfish fisheries -- Massachusetts
(2) _The Shanties._--The catch of scallops is carried to the shanty of
the fisherman, and there opened. These shanties are usually grouped
on the dock, so the catch can be readily transferred. Inside of these
shanties, usually 20 by 10 feet or larger, we find a large bench 3 to
3½ feet wide, running the length of the shanty, and a little more than
waist high. On these benches the scallops are dumped from the baskets
or bags, and pass through the hands of the openers. Under the bench are
barrels for the shells and refuse.
(3) _The Openers._--The openers are usually men and boys, though
occasionally a few women try their hand at the work. Of late years
there has been a difficulty in obtaining sufficient openers, and the
scallopers often are forced to open their own scallops. The openers
are paid from 20 to 30 cents per gallon, according to the size of the
scallops. One bushel of average scallops will open 2½ to 3 quarts of
"eyes." An opener can often open 8 to 10 gallons in a day, making an
excellent day's work. The price now paid is more than double that paid
in 1880, which was 12½ cents per gallon. Some openers are especially
rapid, and their deft movements cause a continual dropping of shells in
the barrel and "eyes" in the gallon measure.
(4) _Method of opening the Scallop._--The opening of a scallop requires
three movements. A flat piece of steel with a sharp but rounded end,
inserted in a wooden handle, answers for a knife. The scallop is taken
by a right-handed opener in the palm of the left hand, the hinge
line farthest away from the body, the scallop in its natural resting
position, the right or smooth valve down. The knife is inserted between
the valves on the right-hand side. An upward turn with a cutting motion
is given, severing the "eye" from the upper valve, while a flirt at the
same moment throws back the upper shell. The second motion tears the
soft rim and visceral mass of the scallop and casts it into the barrel,
leaving the "eye" standing clear. A third movement separates the "eye"
from the shell and casts it into a gallon measure. Frequently the last
two movements are slightly different. The faster openers at the second
motion merely tear off enough of the rim to allow the separation of the
"eye" from the shell, and on the third movement cast the "eye" in the
measure, while the shell with its adhering soft parts is thrown into
the refuse barrel. These last two motions can hardly be separated, so
quickly are they accomplished.
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