100 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



ibr the second tauuitiy,'. In tbo same luaniier a solution may be pre- 

 IKired for each subsequent tanning'. 



Cotton nets, wLicli are to be laid iu oil, slionld first have been tauued 

 three times in the manner described above, whereupon they must be 

 well dried before they are laid in unmixed linseed-oil which has not 

 been boiled. The oil should not be heated at all, but should rather be 

 as cold as possible. The oil is poured into a vat in the proportion of 1 

 pound of oil to 1 pound of nets, therefore as many pounds of oil should 

 be used as are equal to the weight of all the nets which are to be laid 

 in it. After the nets have been laid in the oil they are taken up again 

 and passed between two rollers, so that as much oil as i>ossible may 

 flow oif and remain in the vat. The nets are then laid in a vat with a 

 double bottom, so as to catch the oil which may still run oft" them, and 

 to prevent the lowest layer of nets from remaining in the oil. The nets 

 are left in the vats until no oil drips off them, which generally requires 

 12 hours. The nets are then spread out to dry on fiat ground in the 

 open air, and remain there until they are thoroughly dry. If oil is 

 still dripjiing from them they may be turned from time to time, but 

 they should never be hung up to dry, and should never be packed one 

 upon the other; even if it rains and storms they should be left undis- 

 turbed, for if they are packed together too soon they may take fire. 

 Much rain will hurt nets soaked in oil, but there is no remedy for it. 



When the nets are thoroughly dry they are again soaked in catechu 

 once or twice more and dried iu the manner described above. When 

 this has been done they may be kept in a cool place. 



The rule therefore is : Tan the nets three times in catechu, then soak 

 them in oil, and then tan them once or twice more. After every trip 

 the nets are tanned again, but are not soaked in oil; but some linseed- 

 oil is added to the catechu solution. Cotton nets which are to be tanned 

 only in catechu, but are not to be soaked in oil, should be tanned five 

 times in catechu. Hemp nets need be tanned only three times. 



Mr. William Hearder* recommends the following method : 



Take 1 jjound of catechu to 2| gallons of water, and dissolve the 

 catechu in the water by boiling. 



The nets are to be laid in the solution over night, care being taken 

 that the fire is out before the nets are put into the kettle. As a gen- 

 eral rule, I ounce of sulphureted oxide of copper is added to 1 gallon 

 of water, and occasionally some glue, which the author, however, does, 

 not recommend, as it is soon washed out, and takes out some of the 

 tanning. Wlien the nets have been taken out of the kettle they are 

 washed in i)ure water and dried. 



Mr. Arthur Evans gives the following method in a j)amphlet wliich 

 gained a prize in 1874, and was published by the Baroness Burdett- 

 Coutts : 



The essential condition of success is that the nets should be well 

 tanned from the beginning ; for, if this is not done, they are soon ruined, 



'Fishing Gazette, Marcli, 1884. 



