﻿MUSSEL 
  FISHEBY 
  OF 
  THE 
  FOX 
  EIVER. 
  

   Distribution 
  of 
  Mussels 
  in 
  Fox 
  River. 
  

  

  CONCLUSION. 
  

  

  The 
  foremost 
  fact 
  concerning 
  Fox 
  River 
  shelling 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  mussels 
  

   are 
  disappearing. 
  The 
  causes 
  that 
  have 
  brought 
  about 
  this 
  condition 
  

   will 
  probably 
  contmue 
  until 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  completely 
  exhausted, 
  since 
  

   the 
  unprofessional 
  basis 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  work 
  is 
  conducted 
  will 
  allow 
  its 
  

   continuance 
  after 
  it 
  has 
  ceased 
  to 
  be 
  profitable. 
  There 
  is 
  but 
  a 
  small 
  

   professional 
  class 
  which 
  this 
  exhaustion 
  of 
  mussels 
  can 
  influence 
  

   seriously. 
  This 
  class 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part 
  will 
  have 
  left 
  the 
  river 
  next 
  

   year. 
  Yet 
  there 
  are 
  two 
  blank 
  factories 
  near 
  the 
  Fox 
  depending 
  

   altogether 
  upon 
  it 
  for 
  raw 
  material. 
  Steps 
  should 
  be 
  taken 
  to 
  pre- 
  

   serve 
  the 
  mussel 
  beds 
  here 
  for 
  their 
  own 
  sake 
  and 
  because 
  of 
  their 
  

   importance 
  to 
  the 
  American 
  button 
  manufacturers. 
  The 
  grade 
  of 
  

   shell 
  is 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part 
  very 
  good, 
  and 
  the 
  shells 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  

   large 
  numbers. 
  The 
  pearls, 
  which 
  have 
  equaled 
  the 
  best 
  in 
  the 
  

   country, 
  have 
  nearly 
  disappeared. 
  

  

  The 
  conditions 
  observed 
  in 
  1911 
  indicated 
  that 
  the 
  mdustry 
  on 
  this 
  

   river 
  was 
  doomed 
  to 
  disappear 
  within 
  a 
  year 
  or 
  two 
  unless 
  preventive 
  

   measures 
  were 
  taken. 
  

  

  