Taylor and Wells.- — Preservation of Nets and Lines. 55 



In Fig. 8 the results are grouped for similar preservatives 

 where the wearing results are similar. It is there seen that 

 ability to withstand wear of the kind effected by the wearing 

 machine, is greatest at first in the white lines, (A) and all the 

 preservatives reduce this ability. On exposure the white lines 

 [and also Bull's method, the Petroleum Products and Gilsonite 

 (A, I, J, S, X) which have an initial high wearing quality] 

 rapidly lose the property by disintegration, so that in two or 

 three months they are so far disintegrated as to fail to endure 

 any test at all. The tars (F, G, H) and copper oleates (M, N, 

 O, P) stand about the same at first in wearing quality, but on 

 exposure the tars suffer a steady loss, while copper oleate pre- 

 serves the wearing quality at a high figure longer than any other 

 preservative studied. Its superiority in this respect is beyond 

 question. The copper paints (Q, R) which show up so well in 

 other respects are here at a decided disadvantage, as are also the 

 tanning extracts, Bull's method, which is a failure, and the Dutch 

 method, which shows fair, though by no means excellent, results. 



It may further be remarked that this test is very severe, as 

 will be noticed by the low figures for all preservatives for the 

 fifth month. The poorer preservatives all fail very early. Any 

 preservative which carries its line through six months exposure 

 with a measurable wearing quality has some merit. 



STIFFNESS. 



Most preservatives alter the softness and pliability of lines, 

 nets, seines, etc. If stiffness were not objectionable, much of 

 our fishing gear might be made of wire. In many cases, stiflfness 

 is objectionable, and in some cases, such as that of gill nets, it 

 is absolutely necessary that the lines be soft, pliable and small. 

 Tar and other heavy body preservatives are useful for traps and 

 the like, but because they bring about great stiffness, they are 

 of limited usefulness. It is decidedly against a preservative to 

 stiffen the lines to which it is applied. 



To get a quantitative expression of stiflfness, advantage 

 was taken of the well known laws of the pendulum. The ma- 

 chine devised, constructed, tested, and used by the writers is 

 shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9. The sample of line (a) is 

 gripped between the wooden jaws (b). On the other end of 

 the sample is attached a brass plummet (c) weighing exactly 50 



