Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-02
SPANISH MOSS.
4 Peculiar Sous,.er,. 1,.1z...s,.,,
from Harper's Weekly.l

From Harper's Weekly.l
Nothing. perhaps. in the South proves
at first sight so attractive to the North
ern visitor as the graceful Spanish
southern or Florida moss, depending In
heavy festoons of the softest gray-greer
from the branches of almost every tree
upon which he gazes.
AS far south as the everglades
In Florida it always forms q most
conspicuous feature of the landscape;
but here VT disappears, and seems to
have reached tropical limit.
Being parasite, and blown in de-
tached masses by the winds, it fastens
and fourishes upon almost every living
tree, though the oak of all varieties
seems its favorite abiding place.
A curious effect is sometimes pro-
duced by tourists, who bring to their
Northern homes quantities of moss when
they return from the South in the
spring, and with it decorate the trees
about their houses Here it lives and
grows during the warm weather, but is
killed by the cold of Northern winter.
In addition to being an object of
beauty and sometimes of destruction.
the soft, elastic moss has of late years
become an important article of COM
merce, and its gathering and prepare
ton for market is rapidly-growing in
dustry among the rural population of
the South In no section can it be
found in greater luxuriance, nor its COM
mercial value more highly appreciated,
than along the line of the Florida
Southern railway, in the vicinity of
Gainesville, Fla.
The moss is gathered by men, women
and children in hours of release from
more-important tasks, and piled in great
heaps fully exposed to the action of the
sun and rain, where for weeks it is al
lowed to lie and "ferment." That found
on the ground is collected first. because
1t is more easily obtained, and because
it has already undergone a partial cur
ing or fermentation" Then, armed
with long forked sticks, the moss hunt
ers attack the heavy dropping festoons,
and, twisting the sticks into the moss
until firm hold is obtained, drag it to
the ground.
After being thoroughly cured, the
moss is revealed in an entirely new as
pect- Instead of soft gray substance,
it is stiff, why and black, like horse
hair, for which material it is finally to
be used as a substitute. This black,
.hair-ike substance is the tough inner
fiber Of the moss, which appears after
the outer covering of gray has been re-
moved by the action of the elements.
IF the rainfall during the time of cur
ing is not sufficient, the process is aided
Eby water thrown upon the pile of moss
until it is thoroughly saturated.
When cured the moss is piled high in
the rude two-wheeled carts of the coun-
try, and taken to mill. These carts are
nearly always of home make, and are
the most primitive affairs imaginable.
When, as is generally the case, one is
drawn by single OK or COW attached to
it by ragged rope harness, and when
the load of moss forms coy nest for
all the members of negro family on
their way TO town to invest the proceeds
of their venture among the cheap stores
eating houses or saloons which always
spring up in the vicinity of moss mill,
the effect is to unaccustomed eyes in
'describably funny and picturesque
Each load of moss contains from two to
three hundred pounds, and the price
received at the mill is from one and a
half to 3 cents Fer pound.
The mill at Gainesville is q very crude
affair, and is an offset from a saw-mill.
from which its power is supplied. AT
the mill the moss is first passed between
two grooved iron rollers to @break" it
Leaving the "rolls," it is caught by two
sets of iron teeth or COMBS" set in
rollers and revolving in opposite direc
:tions, which tear it in pieces, and finally
allow it to fall upon a frame of Stats.
along which it is raked, and through
which all sticks and other trash fall te
the ground.
BLFERC4TION and C4PITATION.