2 



from which several tons of shells have been taken by the pearlers; 

 and Big-gerstafF Bar, where there is a marked increase in merchant- 

 able species, notably the southern mucket, butterfly, three-ridge, afid 

 Ohio pig-toe. 



In the second stretch of river, from Celina to Nashville, Tenn. 

 (190 miles), more commercial shelling is carried on and not as much 

 pearling. There are about 30 important beds of mussels distributed 

 with considerable regularity in this portion of the river. About 3 

 miles below Butlers Landing, 7 tons of merchantable shells, mostly 

 Ohio pig-toes and southern muckets, were collected a year or two ago 

 and. left on the river bank. At Dycus Landing clammers were at 

 work in 1911, but had not collected enough shells to permit an esti- 

 mate of their value. Below Carthage, at the foot of Goodalls 

 Island, is a large bed of fine shells, upon which both clammers and 

 pearlers were actively at work with fair results, and an Ohio River 

 company is said to have taken 200 tons of good mussels from this 

 locality. Half a mile below Cedar Bluffs 12 tons of shells were col- 

 lected and cribbed a year ago, but were held for a higher market. 

 There is also a fine bed at the head of Hills Island which has not 

 been worked, at least not recently. 



The third stretch of river, from Nashville to Dover, Tenn. (105 

 miles), has been thoroughly worked by clammers, and the location 

 of all the beds, together with their size and relative value, are well 

 known, largely because a factory for sawing blanks at Clarksville, 

 Tenn., has furnished a ready market for the shells. The largest and 

 most valuable bed of shells on the Cumberland is located at Gowers 

 Island, 25 miles below Nashville. It is 3J or 4 miles in length and 

 contains many fine niggerheads and yellow sand shells. Gaissers 

 Bar, near Clarksville, has been worked for 10 years by from three 

 to five boats, and was said to be as good as ever by clammers working 

 on it in 1911. From the beds below Clarksville an enormous number 

 of shells, estimated at 500 or 600 tons, have been taken during past 

 years. 



The remaining portion of the river from Dover to the Ohio (85 

 miles) , while it has not been worked as much as the preceding por- 

 tion, probably contains as many and as valuable mussels. There 

 are numerous beds near Dover, Tenn., and at Linton, Donelsons 

 Creek, Canton, and Kuttawa, all in Kentucky. In these beds there 

 is a noticeable increase in the percentage of niggerheads, while the 

 proportion of Ohio pig-toe remains about the same. 



From Lock 21, situated 27 miles below Burnside, Ky., to Car- 

 thage, Tenn., a distance of 200 miles, the river is still in its natural 

 state, abounding in riffles and shoals, and the current is strong 

 enough to permit the use of brails in collecting mussels. Those por- 



