THE MUSSEL FISllERY AND PEARL-BUTTON INDUSTRY. 
313 
Ouaniilies and valnes of Jliiished buttons and rough hi antes made iu the button factories on the Mississippi 
Hirer in 1807 and 1898. 
Years and localities. 
Finished buttons. 
Hough blanks. 
Total buttons and blanks 
No. of gross. ' 
Value. 
No. of gross. 
Value. 
No. of gross. 
Value. 
1897. 
Muscatine, Iowa 
313, 200 
$109, 270 
418, 200 
$00, 385 
731,400 
$175, 655 
Otiior place.s in low’a 
Places in Illinois 
110,000 
40, 000 
33, 000 
10, 000 
255, 000 
25, 000 
nil, 000 
295, OOO 
33, 000 
35, 000 
Total 
403, 200 
152, 270 
673, 200 
91,385 
1, 136,400 
213, 655 
1898. 
Muscatine, Iowa 
177, 690 
OG, 554 
541, 120 
84, 331 
718,816 
150, 885 
Other places in Iowa 
195, 793 
06. 767 
48, 000 
6, 040 
243, 793 
72, 807 
Places in Illinois 
26, 000 
8, 000 
171,993 
20, 878 
197, 993 
28, 878 
Total 
309, 489 
141,321 
761,113 
111,249 
1, 160, 602 
252, 570 
RECOMMENDATIONS. 
In view of the very general desire of those pecuniarily interested in this industry 
that some recommendations be made by the U. S. Fish Commission regarding the 
measures that seem necessary for preventing the further depletion of the mussel 
beds and the consequent curtailment of all branches of the business, the following 
suggestions are submitted. It should, however, be understood that the iierpetuation 
of this important industry depends wholly on the joint action of the States concerned, 
and that the General Government and the U. S. Fish Commission are entirely 
without jurisdiction. The measures here advocated will, it is thought, be generally 
indorsed by the button-makers, a large majority of whom have been consulted 
regarding this matter; they should also commend themselves to the fishermen, who 
are vitally interested in having the mussel supply maintained. 
1. The (/atheriiifi of small mussels should he prohibited and a. minimum legal size 
for each itnporlant species should he ptr escribed by laic. 
The following are the minimum sizes of the principal shells that should be 
gathered, the figures referring to the greatest diameter: Niggerheads, inches; 
sand shells, 4 inches; muckets, 4 inches. 
A niggerhead 2^ inches long will yield from 8 to 10 buttons 18 to 20 lines wide. 
A sand shell 4 inches long contains from 8 to 12 buttons of the same size, and a 
mucket about the same number. 
2. Immediately prior to and during their spaicniug season the principal species 
should he unmolested, and a close season siiould be fixed by law. 
The question of a close season presents some difficulties in view of the wddely 
-lifterent spawning times of the various species of mussels. Probably the only sjiecies 
(hat need to be considered at this time are the “niggerhead,” the “mucket,” and the 
“sand shell,” The normal spawning time of the “niggerhead” in the central part of 
the Mississip]>i Basin is late winter and early siiring, chietly the months of February, 
March, and April, while the spawning time of the “mucket” and “sand shell” is the 
Summer and early fall. 
The “niggerhead” is so much more important than all of the other species com- 
bined that protective legislation addressed to it alone would prove perhaps sufficient. 
