BULLETIN OF TITE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 297 



" Mention has been made that the average length of time a tarred 

 seine can be used is about three or four years. Much, however, depends 

 on the care observed, any neglect on the fishermen's part soon resulting 

 in ruined apparatus. The bunt of a seine will rarely last more than 

 one season, it being exposed to much more wear than the other sections 

 of the net. 



" Since the proper care of a seine is a matter of some importance in 

 a pecuniary sense, it may not be out of place to mention here the meth- 

 ods most commonly employed by the American fishermen. During the 

 fishing season, which continues from March or April to November, tho 

 seines are kept constantly damp except when they are taken on shore 

 for repairs. Whether they are stowed in the boat or on the vessel's 

 deck, they are always salted during the process of stowing except they 

 are to be used immediately. The salting is done soon after the seine is 

 taken from the water. The quantity of salt used varies from one-half 

 to two barrels, more, of course, being required for a dirty net than for 

 one comparatively clean. Strong brine is also put on in addition to tho 

 salt if necessary. Seines are occasionally salted to keep over winter, 

 but the ordinary method is to wash and dry them thoroughly, after 

 which they are taken to repairing lofts, mended, and then stowed away 

 until the following spring. 



"As a rule seines are tarred anew at the beginning of the second sea- 

 son, and again about the middle of the third summer. The tar is heated 

 by jets of steam which issue from a perforated pipe. This pipe extends 

 diagonally across the bottom of the kettle or tank containing the tar. 

 For a new seine the liquid is heated to about 110° or 120° F. As the 

 net grows older a greater degree of heat is required. After being im- 

 mersed in the steaming tar the twine is passed between two large rub- 

 ber rollers which remove all superfluous tar, while at the same time 

 spreading it evenly on the net, which is then dried on a field. 



"With the seine, but in a separate imckage, has been sent a set of 

 seine- boat fittings; these include the pursing gear, without which a 

 purse seine cannot be managed. Knowing how important it was that 

 these articles should be sent with the seine, I sought the advice of Prof. 

 Spencer F. Baird, Commissioner of Fisheries, and of Prof. G. Brown 

 Goode, about the matter. They both thought it would be much to the 

 advantage of the people of New South Wales to send the things. I 

 therefore sought and obtained permission from Messrs. 11. W. Cameron 

 & Co. to purchase the articles, each piece of which has its name attached, 

 while the position it should occupy in the boat is shown on the rough 

 diagram, and the accompanying plate, which I send with this. The 

 diagram and plate will give a very fair idea of the shape and relative 

 proportions of the seine boat, the largest of which are 36 feet long, 

 though those of 35 feet in length are most generally preferred, and are 

 well adapted for any kind of purse-seine fishing. Indeed, it may be said 

 without exaggeration that much of the success of the American purse- 



