﻿12 
  MUSSEL 
  KESOUKCES 
  OF 
  THE 
  ILLINOIS 
  EIVEB. 
  

  

  PBICES 
  OF 
  SHELLS. 
  

  

  The 
  price 
  per 
  ton 
  of 
  shells 
  has 
  varied 
  to 
  a 
  considerable 
  extent 
  

   during 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  years 
  on 
  the 
  Illinois, 
  and 
  also 
  on 
  different 
  parts 
  

   of 
  the 
  river, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  on 
  different 
  rivei*s 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  Basin. 
  

   The 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  shells, 
  transportation 
  facilities, 
  and 
  the 
  supply 
  and 
  

   demand 
  are 
  the 
  principal 
  determining 
  factors. 
  Only 
  the 
  very 
  best 
  

   grade 
  of 
  shells 
  could 
  fuid 
  a 
  market 
  in 
  1902; 
  all 
  others 
  were 
  discarded, 
  

   being 
  left 
  on 
  shore 
  and 
  deemed 
  entirely 
  worthless. 
  During 
  the 
  sea- 
  

   sons 
  of 
  1907 
  and 
  1908 
  the 
  price 
  ranged 
  from 
  $6 
  to 
  $20, 
  according 
  to 
  

   quality, 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  early 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  next 
  year 
  S9 
  was 
  paid 
  for 
  all 
  

   grades, 
  excepting 
  culls, 
  but 
  near 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  the 
  price 
  

   went 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  $25, 
  which 
  is 
  about 
  the 
  maximum 
  paid 
  for 
  the 
  Illinois 
  

   shells. 
  The 
  average 
  price 
  for 
  1912 
  was 
  from 
  $12 
  to 
  $13 
  for 
  the 
  river 
  

   run 
  of 
  marketable 
  shells 
  delivered 
  on 
  board 
  the 
  cars 
  or 
  on 
  a 
  barge 
  at 
  

   the 
  river 
  landing. 
  There 
  are 
  so 
  few 
  niggerheads 
  and 
  yellow 
  sand 
  

   shells 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  Ilhnois 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  hardly 
  profitable 
  to 
  sort 
  them 
  

   out, 
  excepting 
  in 
  the 
  lower 
  stretch, 
  where 
  the 
  percentage 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  

   is 
  large 
  enough 
  to 
  do 
  so. 
  They 
  then 
  command 
  a 
  price 
  from 
  $50 
  to 
  $60. 
  

  

  As 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  foUowuig 
  table 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  

   Census 
  Report 
  for 
  1908, 
  the 
  mussel 
  products 
  of 
  the 
  Illinois 
  River 
  for 
  

   that 
  year 
  constituted 
  about 
  one-sixth 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  fishery 
  

   products 
  of 
  this 
  important 
  stream; 
  and, 
  as 
  stated 
  on 
  page 
  115 
  of 
  the 
  

   report, 
  the 
  yield 
  ol 
  shells 
  and 
  pearls 
  of 
  this 
  river 
  was 
  nearly 
  40 
  per 
  

   cent 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  water 
  product 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  State. 
  

  

  Shells 
  and 
  pearls 
  $139, 
  000 
  

  

  Carp 
  412, 
  000 
  

  

  Other 
  fishes 
  309, 
  000 
  

  

  Total 
  860, 
  000 
  

  

  The 
  report 
  also 
  furnishes 
  the 
  foUowmg 
  information 
  concerning 
  the 
  

   fisheries 
  products 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  River 
  and 
  tributaries, 
  1908: 
  

  

  Shells 
  and 
  pearls 
  $686, 
  000 
  

  

  Other 
  fisheries 
  2, 
  365, 
  000 
  

  

  Total 
  3, 
  051, 
  000 
  

  

  Ratios 
  of 
  Illinois 
  River 
  to 
  Mississippi 
  and 
  tributaries: 
  

  

  Shells 
  and 
  pearls 
  20 
  per 
  cent. 
  

  

  Other 
  fisheries 
  30 
  per 
  cent. 
  

  

  Fisheries 
  products 
  28 
  pel 
  cent. 
  

  

  Fisheries 
  products, 
  Illinois 
  River, 
  1899 
  24, 
  000, 
  000 
  pounds. 
  

  

  Fisheries 
  products, 
  Illinois 
  River, 
  1908 
  46, 
  000, 
  000 
  pounds. 
  

  

  Increase, 
  92 
  per 
  cent. 
  

  

  The 
  yield 
  of 
  one-fifth 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  amount 
  of 
  shells 
  and 
  pearls 
  of 
  the 
  

   Mississippi 
  Basin 
  is 
  indeed 
  a 
  remarkable 
  output 
  for 
  one 
  river 
  the 
  size 
  

   of 
  the 
  Illinois. 
  

  

  