Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-15
MUSSELS FOR THE
BUTTON INDUSTRY
Cheapening of Pearls Possible
Result of Plan to Stock
River.

has begun to breed pearl musseIs by
artificial means in the valley Of the
Cumberland river Already the prob
lsr, has been fully worked out from
a. biological standpoint. Through the
development OF this enterprise the fu-
ture Of the important pearl button in
dustry is 10 be made secure. not to
mention a prospective cheapening of
nearls as another possible result.
The method adopted in the propaga-
ton OF the mussels is based upon
knowledge OF the fact that the per
mutation OF ;heir species depends on
small fishes TO whose fms and gills
thev cling while in the larval stage.
As for the pearls. there would be none
except for the Intervention OF the
ruskra;. The latter is the interme-
date host OF a minute worm which.
boring its way into the flesh of the
ryussel. becomes nucleus of the pearl.
Apparently the Cumberland valley
was the original home of the fresh
water musseIs on this continent. all
streams and lakes elsewhere in which
they are found having been populated
from that earliest source. At least So
varieties are found there. The Cum
berland river rises in the southeast
corner OF Kentucky. and. pursuing a
very irregular course, crosses into
Tennessee. wanders back into Ken
lucky and finally enters the Ohio not
far from Paducah.
Thousands OF tons of these shells
are shipped annually to Muscatine, the
home OF the pearl industry on the
Mississippi river. Here they are man
ufactured into buttons and the finish
ed product shipped TO all quarters OF
the globe.
The mussels eggs are Matched in
brood pouches in the outer giIls.
from which they are finally thrown
out in little packets, a dozen or more.
each half an inch long and resembling
a piece of pearl of triangular shape
After lying for a while on the bottom
the packets go to pieces, each of them
Iibersting some thousands of Iarvaae,
which swim about in the water. The
larvae are very minute. and the most
conspicuous feature of their anatomy
is a pair OF hooks, somewhat like ice
tongs. with which they seek to grasp
and hold on to some passing fish. If
they fail In this endeavor they perish.
their prospect of survival depending
entirely upon securing a nurse fish TO
take care of them until they are older. |
Now. the plan adopted for small |
scale propagation by the fisheries bu- |
reau experts in the Cumberland val |
ley is to take ripe pearl mussels from |
the natural beds. abstract from them |
their little brood packets, and place |
the latter in tubs together with small |
fish. such as sunfish and perch This /
gives an opportunity for the glochidia, /
as the larvae are called, to fasten |
themselves upon the fins and gills of |
the fishes. which sometimes become /
so heavily loaded in tvs way they can |
hardly swim.
All that is then necessary is to turn I
che fishes loose in a stream. and the /
rest OF the business will take care OF /
itself. For at the end of about 20 l
days the glochidia will drop on of !
their own accord and. falling to the
bottom, will assume their adult form.
Thus it appears that in babyhood
the pearl mussels are literally para
sites Of fishes. When they have Sc
cured grip on such q nurse. they set
up an irritation which causes the fish
TO throw out a sort Of protective
growth. forming a cyst. airtf,ht and
waterproof. to cover them. Thus they
are safe against injury or disturbance
while undergoing their early develop
ment.
The experts are satisfied that by
this means mussel planting can be
Z
fishing. so that an abundant supply of
the mOllusks will always be available
for use by the button-making industry.
But. as a matter OF fact, much more
than this will be accomplished; for.
IN addition to maintaining the natur-
al beds already in existence by over
hshing). new beds viii be established
in other places and in other streams,
all that is necessary for the purpose
being TO load little fishes with the
glochidia and distribute them wher-
ever they may be wanted.
This will be accomplished on a
large scale by the use OF specially con-
structed ponds, into which bass and
perch can be put together with mus
sells at the season when the latter are
spawning. Then. when the fishes are .
loaded with the glochidia, they will be
10 suitable receptacles for
shipment. Or IL may be found expe- ,
dent 10 turn them loose in other
ponds until the young mussels drop ,
on. whereupon the latter can be col
lected from the bottom for planting
much IN the same way as seed oys-
ters. I
An obvious advantage OF this mode
'f culture is that the most desirable
varieties can be selected for propaga-
ion. There are in the streams and
axes Of the Mississippi valley and
elsewhere more than 500 species OF
'earl mussels. Most of them are
worthless commercially, because their
ihells are too thin 10 furnish suitable
Material for buttons or foN other pur
'oses demanding a good quality OF