The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-07-22
SOURCE OF PEARL BUTTONS.
A Large, Industry Based on Mussel
Shells.

"Complexity of modern industry
is aptly illustrated by the fact that
your pearl buttons are dependent up.
on preservation of certain Mississippi
river fish," says bulletin from the
Washington, D. c., headquarters OF
the National Geographic society: -,
This economic curiosity is explain
ed in a communication to the society
by Hugh NJ. Smith as follows: "
"The perpetuation of the fish sup
ply in the Mississippi and it's trlb-
utaries involves very important IN
dustry besides fishing. lnVestlga-
tions conducted for the bureau OF
fisheries years ago showed an mtl-
mate relation between certain kinds
of fishes and the mussels, which yield
valuable pearls and support a pearl
ibutton industry which gives employ
1fient to about 10000 persons and
has a product worth from $5,0O0,-
900 to S6,O0O,0O0 annually.
1.-The young mussels, of microsco-
pic size when thrown off by their pa
rents in myriads, need to pass the
first few weeks of their independent
existence on the gills of fish. If the
fishes are not present at the proper
time, the mussels cannot survive.
Furthermore-and this is a most In
teresting feature of the correlation
of fishes and mussels-the young Of
particular kinds of mussels require
the gills of particular kinds of fishes
as nurseries.
'.sThe black bass is host for several
sorts of mussels, the crappies for sew
eral Others, the catfish for others.
The skip-jack, a kind of herring, is
the only known host for the best of
all mussels; and as this fish is not
by any means abundant, it's mainten-
ance is of prime Importance to the
welfare of the button industry. In
1919 more than one and half mil
lion skip-jacks were rescued.
''The peculiar requirements of the
young mussels having been carefully
determined, the bureau of fisheries
has gone extensively into the busl-
ness of artificial propagation of pearly
mussels by a method which is a vast
Improvement on. nature. The spawn
ing mussels, held in ponds are at the
critical period provided with the spec
ial fishes needed for the attachment
of the young. The fishes obtained
in the rescue operations are turned
into the ponds at the time the mus
sells are spawning and become thick
ly inoculated. They are then liber-
ated in the open water and distribute
themselves and the mussels through
out a wide stretch ofsriver. Thus,
two important branches of the bu-
reau's work go hand in hand: g..
"The artificial propagation Of
fresh water mussels is one OF the
functions of the United States Fish
cries biological laboratory located on
the Mississippi river near Fairport,
Iowa. Each year from 200, 100000
to 300,OO0,00o young mussels are
thus brought into contact with the
gills of rescued fishes and given a
proper start in life. The mainten-
ance of the mussel supply is thus
greatly aided.
."That this work is not mere ex-
pertinent, but is yielding practical
results. is shown by various pieces
of evidence. For instance, pearl but
tons have been made from Mlsslsslp-
nj river mussels grown from larvae
that has been artifcially implanted
on the gills of black bass less than
two wears before and had been under
constant observation. These mus
sells would have attained full COM
mercial size at the age of four and
a half years."