CURIOUS INDUSTRY

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1935, Page 6 (Supplement)

CURIOUS INDUSTRY

WORMS FOR FISHERMEN. All along the Maine coast a new industry has grown rap'idly in the past few years—worms! The worms dug are the blood and the sand worm commonly known as clam worms. They are from 4in to 12in long, and are found abundantly in the mud and clam flats along the shores. The diggers work at low tides, as do the clam diggers. A smart chap will get from 500 to 1000 worms a day, which means a wage of from 3 dollars 75 cents to 7 dollars 50 cents, as he is paid 75 cents for 100. These worms are shipped to New York, where they, arc used by sportsmen for salt-water fishing. Shippers are paid one dollar for 100 by the New York buyer. The fishermen on* the steamers that take out fishing parties pay from 35 to 60 cents a dozen. At Boothbay Harbour. alone 100 men and boys are engaged in digging clam. worms, and the shipment from that port is 25,000 to 30,000 daily. At Pine Point fully as large a clam worm industry thrives through the summer months.* Tire worms are shipped in baskets between layers of rockweed.