FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 21 



Standards is continuing its investigations of the characteristics and 

 qualities of these leathers. One sample of shark leather possessed a 

 tensile strength in excess of 6,500 pounds per square inch exceeding 

 that of calfskin tested. Wearing tests of snoes are also being made. 

 For this purpose 14 pairs of shoes, one shoe of each pair of shark 

 leather and its mate of calfskin; seven pairs of shoes, one of porpoise 

 and mate of side leather; and two pairs of shoes, one shoe of whale 

 leather and mate of calfskin, are oeing used. It is assured that 

 leather of good quality can be made from shark hides, and read}^ mar- 

 kets thus far have been found for good grades. There is need for 

 more attention to the subject of ([uantity-production, to the trial of 

 small, easily movable reduction plants to care for the oil, scrap, and 

 fins, and to developing the interest of fishermen to save and utilize 

 their catch of sharks. A report is being prepared covering the 

 investigations in this field. 



SHARK FINS. 



There is an apparent demand for a much larger supply of dried 

 shark fins. San Francisco is the center of the inaustry in the United 

 wStates, the receipts at that port amounting to about 5 tons per 

 month. Much the larger portion is imported from the west coast of 

 Mexico, the balance being received from California points and a few 

 shipments from the Atlantic coast. The Chinese merchants are the 

 largest buyers and export the bulk of the material to China, the 

 balance being absorbed by the local trade. 



Unlike conditions in the principal oriental markets, very little 

 distinction as to the species of sharks from which the fins are taken is 

 made, provided the fins are of good size, properly trimmed and cured. 

 The fin should be cut off at the body, with all (leshy parts trimmed 

 off, leaving only the true fin. The marketable lins are the dorsal on 

 the back, the pectorals or anterior paired fins, and the anal. The 

 large dorsal is preferred, while the caudal or tail is worthless. The 

 fins must be at least G inches long, and those ranging from 8 to 14 

 inches are preferred. 



For curing the fins should bo thoroughly dried in the sun without 

 salt or other treatment, then packed, preferably in cases or barrels 

 weighing about 250 pounds, or put up in sacks to weigh 150 or 200 

 pounds. Choice grades have commanded as high as 65 to 75 cents 

 per pound, but fins badly cured, improperly trimmed, etc., command 

 mucn less. 



PEARL ESSENCE OR FiSII SCALE ESSENCE. 



The art of using the silvery pifjment from fish scales for ornamental 

 purposes is said to have been discovered by the Chinese. In 16S0 

 artificial pearls were first made in western Europe by Jacquin, a 

 rosary maker in Paris, and the trade has been largely conducted in 

 France, (iermany, and Italy. The silvery coating of the scales of 

 certiiin fishes, freed from organic matter and composed of minute, 

 oblong ])odies which en masse under suitabhi conditions supply an 

 iridescent effect, is employed for the purpose. This material is 

 known as essence d'orient, pearl essence, or fish-scale essence. In 

 the manufacture of the artificial pearls the inner wall of the thin 



