FRESH-WATER MUSSELS AND MUSSEL, INDUSTRIES. 43 
In the Cumberland River * the Ohio River pig-toe is reported to run as high as 
95 per cent of the catch from one bed, while the valuable southern mucket is found 
in the proportion of 40 per cent in some beds in this river. 
An unusual export demand, causing a high price for the best shells, will tend to 
throw the domestic trade back upon second-grade material, and thus stimulate the 
fishery in regions of inferior-shell product. On the other hand, a slack in exports such 
as now prevails makes the best shells more readily available to American manufac- 
turers and discourages the fishery for poorer shells. 
Taking the principal mussel streams previously listed, we find the average price 
per ton for shells on the bank in the years 1912-1914 to be as follows. These figures 
are of value now only as indicating the relative values of shells from the several rivers. 
RELATIVE VALUES OF SHELLS IN VARIOUS STREAMS, BASED ON SURVEYS OF 1912-1914. 
a Average : Average 
River. Year. ton price. River. Year. ton price. 
ROM so win ciare tatets le cle <inienche Petes ce vvinie vin th arent 1913 $22. 09 1913 16. 5% 
White, Arkansas «.s] 1912 20. 44 1913 16. or 
St. Francis ...| 1912 20. 39 1913 14-95 
ee c, 1912 20.00 1913 14-70 
no peer ...| 1914 19. 47 1912 12. 88 
Aopeicde -+-| 1913 18. 87 1912 II. 73 
1913 17-79 Ig12 11.18 
1913 17. 31 1912 9-97 
1912 17-19 
Since mussels are always sold by the ton, it is of interest to note the number of 
shells constituting a ton in selected cases. No general statement is possible, since 
the number necessary to make a ton varies with the species, the size, and the thick- 
ness. The washboard shells of the upper Illinois averaged about a pound a pair, 
while those of the lower river averaged less than half a pound but were of better 
quality. The following counts are selected from a table given by Danglade and from 
counts made by the writer: 
Number of 
pairs of shells 
Species. Locality. (from one 
mussel) per 
ton, 
Chiliicotive: Tl 363. WeOy Eh. EET ow wie sone acne es 2,000 
Hardin, Ill...... 4; 800 
Chillicothe, Ill. . 3,000 
Hardin, Ill...... 6, 800 
Meredosian Us ciate xipadic ci esata slay apie ans anes. eisai gen 14, 200 
Florence, Hilts. 17,200 
Se ohana AGiisy veces = 7) 400 
.| Clarendon, Ark... «| 20; 500-27, 000 
Yellow sand-shell . -...| Madison, Ark. . 000 
Lake Pepin mucket. ...........:0ceccccecsevesesecsress Lake City, Minn 12, 000-14, 000 
The table next following shows the number of pairs of shells (equivalent to num- 
ber of mussels) of different species and sizes and from different localities, making a 
ton as weighed and measured at a factory. The data comprised in this table are not 
@ Wilson, Charles B., and Clark, H. Walton: The mussels of the Cumberland River and its tributaries. U.S. Bureau 
of Fisheries Document No. 781, 63 pp., r pl. Washington, ror4. 
