Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-04-28
Sea Plants.

some seemingly useless or deleterious vegetable
The sea plants, or Alge, are far from useless
as the following facts show
All along the coast of tho British isles, an
more particularly on the shores of Ayrshire
after storm, there isa busy time with the in
habitants for it is then that the larger tangle
as they are called, are torn from their mooring
iu deep water and cast upon the beach. Boil
old and young people are seen actively engaged
in gathering up the treasures which the boun
tiful ocean has spread out before them. There
is the farmers cart, and the cottager's loaded
barrow ; the industrious boy, also has bagfull
which he offers for penny and even children
without bag, basket Or barrow, contrive te
iasten load on one of the larger leaved tan
gles, afd,"using Athe.stem4 the pole, drag il
along in triumph.
At other times, when no storm has strewn
the wrecks of the ocean forest on the strand
patient laborers are to be seen collecting the
bladder Drack, or olve-colored sea tangle that
grows on every rocky shore, 1t makes excel
lent manure for the land, which, bordering on
the sea, requires some dressing before it will
yield crops that would pay the farmer for plant
ing. In the island of Arran, opposite to the
Ayrshire coast, the value of seaweed as q ma
nure, is well known and, lest there should be
any dispute respecting its appropriation, the
factor for the Duke of Hamilton very judicious-
ly assigns to each who has an interest in the ad-
joining land, the portion of the shore from
which he may collect it. In Ireland it is very
highly valued, as it is the chief mannre for
thousands of acres of potatoe ground. I" On
many of our coasts" says DR.. Harvey, {" as
along the west coast of Ireland, the poorer
classes are almost entirely dependent for the
cultivation of their potatoes, on tho manure af-
forded by their rocky spores and frequent gales.
And Mr.. W. Thompson, of Belfast, in the An
mails Of Natural History, says " Of this we
had a notable example at the town of Galway,
some years ago. Turf boats were discharging
their cargoes of seaweed at the quay, and on
inquiring whence it was brought, we learned
that it was from Slyne head, place distant be
tween fifty and sixty miles, and that some Of
the purchasers were about to convey it inland
thirty miles y
It is not generally used in the state IN which
it is collected 1t is burnt, as the ash that il
leaves is found to answer the purpose of manure
better than the plant itself. The ash is used
for the under crop, while the fresh seaweed il
applied as top dressing. The poorer classes
along sea coasts generally use the dried tangle
as fsiei. Many of the sea plants are eaten.
Let some Of our readers try the dulse cooked in
a~propor manner, and We can assure them they
will find it no conteMptible fare. Though not
so much used in the way of food as they were
once, there are some kinds Of seaweeds still
much eaten by the Highlanders and by the Irish
and to some extent by the Scotch Lowlandcrs.
" Wha'll buy dulse and taug?" was one Of
the cuphonious cries that once tckled the cars
of a stranger in Edinburgh. 1t was much eaten
by the Ilighlanders till it was supplanted by
tobacco. Long before the dulse was known tc
contain iodine, and before iodine itself was dis
covered, it was thought very efhcacious as {
swcctener of the blood and in wardng # ol
curing scorbatic and glandular affections, Tit
stick chcwed by the inhabitants of the Alps at
fected with goitre, disease of the glands
the neck, is said to be the stem of kind o
tangle The Icclanders eat it in large quaint
ties, and prepare it in the following manner
1t is first well washed in fresh water, and thcl
exposed SO that it may become dry, when
gives out white powdery substance, which i
sweet and palatable, and covers the Who'll
plant. They then pack it in casks and keep i
from the air, and, thus preserved, it is ready t
be eaten either in this state, with fish and but
ter, or boiled in milk and mixed with httl
-four of rye, The white substance that th
dulsc gives out on drying is kind of suga
called nannite 1t is found pretty abundant
IN many varieties. Cattle are very fond of thi
seawced, and sheeparo said to seek it with sue
avidity that they are often lost by going to
far from land at low water in search OF it, an
becoming surrounded by the returning tide,
But while the Icelanders make a savory dis
of dulse, the Irish peasantry make truly del
cious dish of very common seawecd, we
known by the name of CarrGgeen, or Iris
moss. Being recommended as palatable ioof
and particularly as light and nourishing for il
yalds. it became fashionable dish and tt
dried material sold at one time as high as .
cd. English per pound. 1t is now, howeve
very cheap, and to be procured at all apoth
carries When used, teacup full of it is bo
in water; this water, heins strained, is boil
with milk and sugar, and some seasoning, SUI
as nutmeg, cinnamon or essence Of lemon.
is then put in shape, in which it consoidat
like blanc mango, and, when eaten with creal
it is SO good that many sweet,lpped little b.
and girl would almost wish to be on the inv
lid list to get share of it. The Agar-Aga
or Agal- Agal, of the Chinese, is seawee
and the bird s nests, of which they make sou
is supposed also to be formed of the same srl
stance. There is one of the seawceds to
found on our coast, of a brilliant purple tin
the same kind is gathered at different points
the British coast for food. In England it
called larer in Ireland stoke, and III Scotlal
sladk.
1t is from the refuse LETT after reducing t
soawcods to an ash, by burning in kilns, tn
large quantities of Iodine and brom'ne are p'
cured. This ash, or hclp was at one timo us
in the manufacture of glass, but it is fou
more profitable to manufacture iodine from
This fact alone recommends TO our notice
| tanglc and dulse of the senshore' They y''
s also sugar, and gum that is well adapted
use in the arts.