n8 PEARLS AND PEARLING 



one. If the knots are made just like the one in the draw- 

 ing they will not slip down against the hooks. In the 

 same illustration, two styles of hooks can be seen. One 

 is the wrapped hook and the other is the twisted hook. 

 The wrapped hook is a very good one, and is easy to keep 

 in good condition. It is made by cutting wires into 

 lengths of about ten inches. Then two are folded to- 

 gether and held in a clamp, while a baling wire is wrapped 

 around them, after which the ends are cut even and 

 bent properly with pliers. 



The twisted hook is easier to make and does the work 

 very well. Through a courtesy of Mr. C. N. Douglas, of 

 Florence, Illinois, a photograph of a machine for making 

 twisted hooks is shown in Fig. 30. 



The machine consists of a strong wooden box upon 

 which is mounted a crank at one end and at the other 

 end a metal plate, having four holes in it is attached to 

 the box. In making this kind of a hook machine a piece 

 of one-half inch iron about thirty inches long is used 

 for the crank. It is bent to the proper form and, in 

 making the hook part it should be left fully one-half inch 

 in diameter so that it will make large eyes in the hooks. 

 The hook part is pointed, but at the place where the 

 hooks are held it should be the full thickness. The 

 metal plate is perforated with four one- fourth inch holes, 

 all within an area of one inch square. It is also a good 

 plan to drill several other holes in it so as to bolt it 

 to the box. Different sizes of wires are used in making 

 hooks, the sizes depending upon sizes of mussels that are 

 to be taken* For the smallest mussels a number is wire 



