Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-12-27

CoRAL.--What Is coral? IF it is
neither an animal, nor plant, nor a mine
raj, as we are told, what is il? As it feels
like stone, looks like plant, and is made
by an animal, it is perhaps best to con-
slider it a compound of all three. Natu-
ralists class it among zOophyteS, or animal
plants, but as it grows beneath the sea and
| in the dark, they are naturally very much
In the dark as to how it grows. When
first fished up, the coral shows a sort of
bark, in which are little cells, or warts,
and it Is covered with thick, sticky sub
stance. The cells are the residences Of
the polyps. arranged IN rows ike the
houses In city, and the sticky substance
is that which forms the bark, and in time
hardens iuto the stony coral, such as we
see it. What becomes of the little crea-
lures imprisoned in the cells? They must
be petri6ed also, and hence some have sup
posed that the coral consists chiefly of
these animals dried and hardened by death.
In this case a necklace of coral beads is q
string of minute stone collins, with the
dead bodies inside,
In general appearance the coral Is a
branching plant without leaves, and of
red or rosy color. The deeper the red
the better the coral. The best comes
from the deepest water. As the branches
harden from the outside inward, the little
ones are not very solid, and of small value.
while the larger, being older, are more
confirmed in their character and more to
be depended on. The small pieces OBJ
tained on the coast of Sa- dinia fetch only
fourpence a pound in the market, while
the largest specimens bring forty or fifty
shillings a pound. That of a delicate
rose or flesh color Is so rare, that speci-
mems have been sold for ten guineas an
ounce. Some pieces are found with the
polyps growing on them, which then look
ike little flowers on the coral branches
The bed of the Mediterranean Sea is
that in which most of the coral grows
not. however, exactly the sea bottom, but
the sloping sides of rocks, where, like
on the side of a mountain,
it forms a sort Of shrubbery. seldom more
than half yard high. The hook with
which it is caught is made Of TWO pieces
Of wood crossed at the center, and having
q net fastened to the under side This Is
sunk ey the weight of 4 stone, and the
fisherman in his boat guides it to the
proper place, and then entangling the net
IN the branches Of the coral, Jerks them
Ip.
The fisherman sells the coral in its
rough state. the working of it into beads
md ornaments being quite a separate busi-
ness. The beads are made principally in
Leghorn and the neighhorhood of Genoa.
The people of the different villages make
Zach their own size of beads, some fami-
les doing the cutting. and others the
piercing ami rounding. The finer kind Of
work is done in the city. From the fac
orios the beads are sent to Marseilles,
md from thence are shipped to India, Ger
many and Russia. In the last place they
ire used for funeral ornaments. In India
he natives are often buried with their or
on them, and thus the coral or
epUlchres of animaleulae, are at last COM
njttted to the earth.
Coral has been prized as an ornament
rom the most ancient times. The ancient
ireeks valued it besides as an amulet, as
charm to protect infants from disease.
nd as 4 medicine for fever. opthalmia and
ther maladies. For a time, in the Mid
lie Ages, it was but little used, but after
yards again became popular. At the
resent time there is no little imitation. or
yei coral sold, chiefly, perhaps, to the
oIorcd people. who are especially fond Of