The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-03-26
Farming Under the Sea.

The fact is not generally known, even
in these parts, the business having been
conducted in a quiet manner, that
within three hours ride of Boston a
large and profitable business has been
carried on, ever since 1910, along the
sea-shore, and which is nothing more
nor less than farming under the sea.
Six miles south of Minot's Light-that
tall pharos that stands out in the sea,
rocked as cradle on hidden rock-on
the southern side of Massachusetts bay,
the shore suddenly changes it's direction
and turns away from the southwest to a
little west of south. just at the turn
is Scituate harbor, and behind the har-
Dor is the quaint little village of Scitu,
ate, still suggestive of old colony times
and customs. 1t was here that the
"old oaken bucket" hung in its we'll.
The summer tourist overlooks this
place, with its dismantled lighthouse,
its breezy cliffs and noble views of land
and sea. Everywhere upon the coast of
eastern New England may be found,
about ten feet below water-mark, the
ichen known as carrageen-the " Irish
moss" of commerce. It may be torn
from the sunken rocks anywhere, and
yet this little seaport of Scituate is al
most the only place in the country
where it is gathered and cured. This
village is the great center of the moss
business in this country, and the entire
union draws its supplies from those
beaches. Long rakes are used in till
ing this marine farm, and it does not
take long to fill the many doiries that
await the hchen, torn from its salty,
rocky bed. Puppies and browns, ma
rooms, blacks, yellows and dull dark
reds, CLEAN and glisten in the sunlight
Airy fronds, too delicate to grow in the
open air, they spread their lace-like
shapes under the soft water, far down
in the quiet, below the foam and roar of
the sea. Every moss-covered rock
every long frond of kelp, every cluster
and grove of yellow rock-weed and
patch of sea lettuce, stands out clear in
a curiously reflected light, while the
Iordly lobster, sort of q green dragon,
crawling backward and trailing his arm
behild him, darts out from between the
groves of kelp, as the cruel rake is
drawn across the fruit, and with staring
yellow eyes in his Iideous face, the
creature seems to object to such an in
u NoAcA AAOLA S@bOFO GNU o"4AA4o Jill WIN
a rolling motion, through the schools
OF jelly-tishes, whose gorgeous globes
are radiant with every tint of the rain
bow. Every rock and boulder is Gov
cred with moss. The husbands and
fathers gather the moss from the sea,
and the wives and daughters prepare it
for market by q peculiar yet simple
process. Soak it in water and it will
melt away to Jelly. Boil it with milk,
and a delicious, white and creamy
blancmange is the result. But this
messing is a hard life. It's wet and
cold in the boat, the sand of the beach
is hot and burning, and the washing.
tubs are hard on the back. The moss
business at Scituate was started in 1949
by resident of the place. at that
time the demand for the article was
limited, but it has now increased to an
annual product of 10000 barrels, and
brings $500 into the town, which
sum is shared by some $50 families.
Its consumption in the manufacture of
lager beer is very large, and the entire
beer interest in the country draws its
supplies from Scituate beaches, as the
importation from Ireland is almost
ceased. 1t is well known that the moss,
as an article of food, is called "Sea
Moss Farine. Boston Letter.