FRESH-WATER MUSSELS AND MUSSEI. INDUSTRIES. 73 



purchased either from the factory or elsewhere ; its cost in prewar times was about $2 



and approximately $4 i^i I9i9- 



The button cutter, having had his shells weighed out to him and having received 

 his saw, proceeds to fit the saw into the spun, or saw holder, and then sets the spun 

 in the chuck fixed in the machine, which is thrown into operation to test if the saw is 

 set perfectly true. If not found to be running true, adjustment is effected by tapping, 

 or by refitting. It may require several minutes, at least, to obtain a correct adjustment. 

 With a slender three-cornered file the teeth (i i to 20 or more in number, according to the 

 size of blank to be cut) are then cut into the saw, after which the teeth are set, and the 

 machine is ready for practical work. (See PI. XXXVII, fig. i.) In quantity of pro- 

 duction, quality, and economy, as will be more fully shown later, much depends upon 

 the skiU and interest of the cutter, as well as upon the good judgment of the manu- 

 facturer in the purchase and assignment of material. 



Roughly speaking, a cutter may use about 100 pounds of shell per day, cutting 25 

 gross or more of blanks. The number of pounds of shell required to produce a gross of 

 buttons varies with the line, the character of the shell, the skill and interest of the cutter, 

 and with the care of the management. 



Once a week the cutters take their blanks to the foreman and are paid at a given 

 price per gross. There is usually some system by which the cutter is held responsible 

 for excessive waste of shell. The wages of cutters vary widely, according to the skill 

 and regularity of the individual. 



Since the number of gross is computed from the weight of the blanks in bulk, it is 

 customary to give the blanks a preliminary shaking over sieves adapted to the size to 

 be used. The openings in the sieve are just a little smaller than the blanks, so that, not 

 only the chips and dust are removed, but also such imperfect blanks as have one diameter 

 less than that of the opening. 



Representative prices in 19 14 and in 191 9 (figures in parentheses) were as follows: 



6 ( 7K) cents per gross of 14 lines. 10 (iiK) cents per gross of 24 lines. 

 6(8 ) cents per gross of 16 lines. 13 (15 ) cents per gross of 30 lines. 



7 ( 8X) cents per gross of 18 lines. 17 (18 ) cents per gross of 36 lines. 



8 ( g}4) cents per gross of 20 lines. 21 (26 ) cents per gross of 40 lines. 



9 (io>^) cents per gross of 22 lines. 



At these prices a cutter could earn from $10 to $20 per week in 19 14, or from $12 

 to $35 in 1919. A small bonus may be paid for full-time work. 



Production oi^ Blanks. — ^With good cutting of niggerhead shells 100 pounds of 

 shell will )deld 12 to 14 pounds of blanks, but the production is usually much lower, 

 often only about 9 pounds. A fine grade of muckets from Lake Pepin, being light and of 

 comparatively uniform thickness, will yield 20 pounds of blanks per 100 pounds of shell. 



The table following prepared by the shell expert of the Fairport station is of interest 

 as illustrating how the different species and sizes of shells may be adapted for different 

 lines of buttons. The cutting practice in any plant will, however, be adapted to varying 

 market demands, rather than to any theoretically ideal scheme for the most effective use 

 of the shell. 



