PRESERVATION OF FISH NETS. 



By Harden F. Tayi.ok, Assistant for Developiny FialicruK and for Haniny and 

 Use of Fishery J'rodtict.s, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries. 



Contribution from the Fisliery I'roducts Labonitory, Washington, D. C. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The art of net preservation grew up long ago, as it might be 

 expected inevitably to do. where it was necessarj^ to make fishing gear 

 of nonliving plant fibers that are exposed to the destructive effects 

 of water, air, and sunlight. The word " art" of net preservation as 

 distinguished from "science" of net preservation is used advisedly; 

 one needs to see only the multiplicity of recipes for curing or preserv- 

 ing nets to be convinced that the processes belong to the same class 

 as cookery or home treatment of diseases, where each locality and 

 often each family has its own recipes or formulas, which are tena- 

 ciously adhered to and believed in. The many recipes found in the 

 literature represent the fisherman's efforts to make his expense and 

 labor count for more by prolonging the life of the net and reducing 

 his overhead expenses. 



The purpose of this paper is not to collect all these old recipes for 

 preserving nets, but rather to review the literature of the subject and 

 to present the fundamental principles in the light of chemistry so far 

 as they are known, and to give for use those recipes which, from a 

 chemical standpoint, seem best calculated to serve their purpose. It 

 will be seen that while many methods as practiced are empirical and 

 crude, they nevertheless contain the germ of correct chemistry, and 

 not a little progress has been made in improvement of technique by 

 chemists, notably Thv. Lindeman and Henrik Bull in Norway and 

 J. T. Cunningham in England. Most of the work has been done by 

 the Norwegians ; as a matter of fact, only one important paper, that 

 of Cunningham, has been found, in any language other than Nor- 

 wegian, as shown by the list of references at the end of this paper. 



NATURE OF DISINTEGRATION OF NETS. 



MECHANICAL WEAR AND TEAR. 



Before considering the various treatments that are given nets to 

 prolong their usefulness, it may be profitable to consider the nature 

 of the w'ear and tear that ruins nets. (Jbviously mechanical wear is 

 one of the great enemies of nets. The threads rub against one an- 

 other, against the gunwales of the boat, and against the floats and 



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