The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-12-11
MERGE.

Thousands OF dollars are made
every year in the States of LouIsl-
ana, Mississippi and Florida, from
the gathering black or Spanish
moss. The only cost is that OF
preparing it for market, which costs
very little. 1t is n growing industry
in the South, and will give employ
ment to Il large number Of laborers,
and shows that there is no country on
the earth has so many varied and use
full products as the South.
AS we have had inquiries on the
subject, we clip the following from a
late copy of the n. o. Democrat on
the subject:
HOW THE MOSS is GATHERED.
There are two ways in which moss
is gathered and prepared for the
market, the artificial and the natural
way.
The artificial process is for the moss
gatherer to penetrate the swamp
where the moss is growing on the
trees, climb these by means of spiked
shoes, collect the moss, carry it home
and pile it in immense heaps, like the
hay-cocks in which hay is dried. The
moss, thus placed, rapidly accumu-
lates heat, and Il fermentation or rot
is generated that causes the bark to
drop off, leaving only the fibre behind.
This "curling," as it is called, de-
creases greatly the weight, five to
seven pounds of green being required
make one pound Of "cured' or dIlea
moss. \ large portion Of this loss Is
water, the moss in its green state
being frequently so full of water that
a little Squeezing will make the water
gush from it.
But this process does not always
have to be gone through with, as
nature frequently does this work her-
self for the moss gatherer, In the
denser and less penetrated swamp
the moss accumulates until 1t weighs
down the branches and these can bear
the weight no longer. The wind blows
the moss into the water, where it goes
through the same process OF fermen-
tation and "curing" as when placed
on the moss-cock to dry. Thus it ac-
for years, forming mine
that yields rich profits to the fortunate
nirocupr who discovers it. There are
IL onsonds of tons of this already cur
cd moss in this State. particularly in
the Grand Lake District and a large
onoonnt If that Skinned to our market
comes from there. This is particular
Nv ~ in hiUh water wears. during those
Seasons the sunnly Of moss is generally
more abundant ihan in drV or low
water Years, In the wear 1914, for in
stance 10000 bales of moss, worth
S1S0 O0O were shipped to this city from
one Parish alone.
,'',,r,,n. ,>.,,e,,rp,,r>,r.
khChlrl9 AND oiiir" nN i''
Our receipts OF moss for the season
ending August 81, 1880, were $4,000
bales, averaging 800 pounds each, or
IL, 800 900 pounds. This, at three cents
per pound, the average price paid for
the rough moss, makes the total paid
out by the ginniers, uppolsterers and
of this city, $4,000.
When the moss is ginned it loses,
through dirt, water, etc, about % per
cent. of its weight. This would leave
5 800 600 pounds of ginned or mercan-
tile moss, worth about $40, 600. A
large amount OF this, however, does |
not pass through the ginneries or fac
tories, but goes directly to the uphol-
,tercrs and mattress makers, who pick |
md clean it themselves. All the moss
ginncd here by the factories is shipped |
abroad, as none of our furnturc-mak- |
ers buy it ginned, preferring to do this |
themselves. A large majority of the
moss goes to the North
md West, but some portions of it is
shipped to Europe, the exports amount
ne last year to $4,000 for the whole
country, of which two-thirds went
rom New Orleans.
OF the moss shipped from this city,
1853, 900 of it is reported to have been
Manufactured or prepared bv the fac
cries here, As the census of 1870 gave .
10 figures whatever on this industry.
md, according to it, the United States
lid not produce pound of moss that
ear, it is impossible to draw any
or show how much New |
orleans has improved in this industry
n the past decade.
AcTUR1NGu THE MOSS.
,1,ono ana now civ r,oso f,otorios !,
ny arc NV ,ia;if, ~ go f than, IL;
! CioS "un ,'u'n Ivy t,, u ~ Grdtnn
lie Glty Pi"Pol "'iN ~ '