FISHERIES OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES. (15 
cases, however, only the blanks are made, these being shipped East to 
be finished. The manufacture of buttons from these shells was first 
begun in Muscatine, and that city is now the center of this industry, 
28 button factories being located there in 1899. The mussel beds in the 
vicinity of Muscatine have become very much thinned out by continual 
fishing during the past few years, and the scarcity there has necessi- 
tated bringing the shells from a greater distance every year. This 
fact is no doubt responsible for the erection of many factories along 
the Mississippi River above and below Muscatine. In 1899 there were 
factories in 16 different towns along the latter river in this State. 
With the exception of the taking of mussel shells for use in pearl- 
button manufacture, no branch of the fisheries of Iowa is of very 
recent development. The use of the various forms of apparatus has 
gradually increased from year to year with the increase of population 
and the improvement of shipping facilities. During the last four or 
five years the fisheries have been fully as prosperous as at any previous 
time. The total yield has never been greater, and more fishermen are 
now given employment than ever before. On the other hand, black 
bass, crappie, and some other game fish appear to be decreasing in 
abundance, as determined by the quantity caught by the fishermen. 
The seines employed range in length from 50 to 250 yards each, and 
in depth from 10 to 20 feet, the size of the mesh being from 14 to 22 
inches. Some have parallel and others tapering brails. From two to 
four or more persons are required to operate each seine. Where 
several men are required at each fishery, they share equally, the owner 
of the rig receiving an additional share. The season for fishing begins 
as soon.as the ice is out of the rivers, generally about March 15, and 
continues until about the middle of November, periods of low water 
being most favorable. In some localities, especially in the Mississippi 
River north of Dubuque, seines are occasionally used under the ice 
during the winter, the catch at such times consisting almost exclusively 
of buffalo and fresh-water drum. 
Sometimes very large hauls are made by the seines. The best haul 
in Iowa during the last two years was made in January, 1898, near 
North McGregor, and consisted of 28,000 pounds, of which 600 pounds 
were pike perch (wall-eyed), 9,000 pounds buffalo-fish, and 18,400 
pounds fresh-water drum. In March, 1884, a very large haul was 
made in Minnesota Reach, near the line of Iowa and Minnesota, con- 
sisting of 240,000 pounds, almost all of which were fresh-water drum. 
The fyke nets, frequently termed ‘*bait nets” or ‘‘hoop nets” by 
the fishermen, have 5 to 7 hoops, usually 6, and are without leaders or 
wings. They are baited principally with stale cheese. 
Some of the fishermen, especially about Madison, use fyke nets con- 
structed of soft copper wire netting instead of twine. In addition to 
being far more durable, they are said to yield larger returns of fish. 
