﻿10 
  MUSSELS 
  OF 
  CENTEAL 
  AND 
  NORTHEEN 
  MINNESOTA. 
  

  

  showed 
  far 
  more 
  \visdom 
  than 
  is 
  common 
  under 
  such 
  circumstances, 
  

   for 
  even 
  the 
  children 
  had 
  sense 
  enough 
  to 
  save 
  the 
  valuable 
  shells 
  

   and 
  turn 
  them 
  over 
  to 
  a 
  local 
  blank 
  factory 
  situated 
  on 
  the 
  shore 
  of 
  

   Cross 
  Lake 
  in 
  Pine 
  City. 
  At 
  that 
  time 
  this 
  factory 
  was 
  running 
  

   entirely 
  on 
  such 
  small 
  job 
  lots, 
  which 
  could 
  be 
  obtained 
  at 
  a 
  con- 
  

   siderable 
  reduction 
  in 
  price. 
  

  

  PROPAGATION. 
  

  

  Some 
  of 
  the 
  mussel 
  fishermen 
  claimed 
  that 
  this 
  locality 
  was 
  

   practically 
  worked 
  out, 
  and 
  in 
  consequence 
  they 
  had 
  left 
  and 
  gone 
  

   to 
  Rice 
  Lake. 
  But 
  all 
  of 
  those 
  who 
  remained 
  told 
  us 
  that 
  they 
  

   had 
  no 
  difficulty 
  in 
  gathering 
  500 
  or 
  600 
  pounds 
  a 
  day. 
  The 
  supply, 
  

   however, 
  is 
  not 
  inexhaustible, 
  and 
  unless 
  measures 
  are 
  taken 
  to 
  

   replenish 
  the 
  more 
  valuable 
  species 
  they 
  will 
  soon 
  be 
  gone. 
  

  

  Everything 
  combines 
  to 
  make 
  this 
  an 
  ideal 
  location 
  for 
  such 
  

   artificial 
  propagation. 
  Pine 
  City, 
  the 
  county 
  seat 
  of 
  Pine 
  County, 
  

   is 
  conveniently 
  reached 
  by 
  the 
  Northern 
  Pacific 
  Railroad, 
  60 
  miles 
  

   from 
  St. 
  Paul. 
  It 
  is 
  located 
  on 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  Cross 
  Lake 
  and 
  along 
  

   the 
  banks 
  of 
  Snake 
  River, 
  and 
  the 
  waterway 
  is 
  unobstructed 
  up 
  the 
  

   river 
  into 
  Pokegama 
  Lake. 
  Hence 
  propagation 
  at 
  a 
  single 
  point 
  

   would 
  supply 
  both 
  of 
  the 
  lakes 
  and 
  the 
  river. 
  And 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  

   abundance 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  kind 
  of 
  fish 
  to 
  serve 
  as 
  hosts 
  for 
  the 
  glochidia. 
  

  

  RECOMMENDATIONS. 
  

  

  1. 
  The 
  muckets 
  and 
  the 
  maple-leaves 
  that 
  are 
  found 
  here 
  are 
  

   exceptionally 
  fine 
  shells, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  way 
  the 
  local 
  conditions 
  are 
  

   peculiarly 
  suited 
  to 
  their 
  development. 
  They 
  should 
  be 
  locally 
  

   propagated, 
  therefore, 
  in 
  sufficient 
  numbers 
  to 
  keep 
  up 
  the 
  supply. 
  

   In 
  aU 
  probability 
  they 
  will 
  yield 
  better 
  returns 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  species 
  

   that 
  could 
  be 
  introduced. 
  

  

  2. 
  A 
  careful 
  study 
  of 
  these 
  mussels 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  local 
  conditions 
  

   should 
  be 
  undertaken 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  determine, 
  if 
  possible, 
  what 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  

   the 
  way 
  of 
  lime, 
  food, 
  or 
  other 
  things 
  that 
  renders 
  these 
  shells 
  so 
  

   exceptionally 
  fine. 
  

  

  3. 
  With 
  a 
  good 
  local 
  supply 
  of 
  these 
  remarkable 
  shells 
  and 
  a 
  

   working 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  conditions 
  under 
  which 
  they 
  flourish, 
  

   it 
  would 
  be 
  a 
  simple 
  matter 
  to 
  introduce 
  them 
  into 
  other 
  localities 
  

   having 
  a 
  similar 
  happy 
  combination 
  of 
  river 
  and 
  lake. 
  Among 
  such 
  

   possible 
  localities 
  may 
  be 
  mentioned 
  Rice 
  and 
  Koronis 
  Lakes 
  near 
  

   PaynesviUe 
  in 
  Stearns 
  County, 
  Clearwater 
  Lake 
  near 
  Annandale 
  in 
  

   Wright 
  County, 
  Lost 
  and 
  West 
  Lost 
  Lakes 
  near 
  Fergus 
  Falls, 
  and 
  

   Pine 
  and 
  Little 
  Pine 
  Lakes 
  near 
  Perham 
  in 
  Ottertail 
  County. 
  

  

  4. 
  A 
  small 
  local 
  factory 
  may 
  often 
  render 
  efficient 
  service 
  by 
  

   saving 
  the 
  odd 
  lots 
  of 
  shells 
  that 
  are 
  just 
  as 
  good 
  in 
  quality 
  as 
  any 
  of 
  

  

  