Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-11
Grey or Black Moss-Its Commercial
Value.

1T Id 80
Grey or Black MOss-Its Commercial
Value.
The swamps and forests of Southern
Georgia and all Florida are draped in this
moss. which, until the last few years, pos
sessed little or no commercial value. 1t
has been used to a small extent from the
settlement of the country by farmers and
others i'm the manufacture of mattresses,
horse collars, etc; but no demand until
recently warranted its transportation to
the centres of population, 1t begins now,
however. TO enter largely into commerce
as an article already ofconsiderable value,
and destined in the near future to
figure largely in the markets of those
towns and cities contiguous to the dis
tricts in which it most abOunds. savan-
nah should be the chief moss market east
of the Mississippi river. and from the vast
quantities Of moss known to be within
easy reach of her numerous lines Of trans
portatiOn, we apprehend that it would
be necessary only to give notice of re-
muneratiye demand to bring thou
sands of bales annually into this mar
ket. In order properly 10 prepare
moss for commercial purposes and
to create the needed local demand,
there should be established in the city
moss-cleaning machines, such as are used
in other localities, capable of cleaning all
the raw material that may be brought in.
This would be also the introduction of a
new industry, and employ many hands
now idle or insufficiently furnished with
labor. Moss-gathering in the swamps
would be cOngenial labor for thousands of
colored people who do not engage in farm
or other regular labor, and the aggregate
results of their moss rambles would Oper-
ate several large cleaning establishments
with many employees.
Other sections are far in advance of us
in this new industry, and that it may be
seen 70 what Importance it is rapidly
growing, we copy the following from the
New Orleans Picdyune:
Twenty years ago, as commercial
staple. moss had no status, and was not
quoted on The New Orleans market, so
very insignificant were the receipts and
so little did it enter into consumption at
that time in the various industries which
now absorb all that is gathered: Since
the war, however, and especially within
the last eight or ten years, the value
and importance Of moss as factor in
several manufacturing and industrial
branches has become manifest. In
the upholstering department, in the car
rage and harness industry, in mattress
and pillow making, emitting several
other lines. moss has. in great measure.
suppianted the article. formerly used
{ hair and wool ), and this snbstitution of
material in these various Industrial de-
partments is not due alone to advantages
Of price and cost. bpt TO causes and rea-
sons more urgent-thOse of health and
durabilitv-and to other technical adyan-
tages which are better understood by
those engaged in the industries TO which
we have referred. At the present time
the moss factories of this city-if such es-
can with accuracy be so
designated-are driven to their ut
most capacity TO supply the de-
mand from Northern, Eastern and
Western manufacturers. There are at
present in New Orleans three of these
establishments, each hand
ling and manipulating daily fifty to sixty
bales of the article. and total during the
wear OF thirty to forty thousand bales,
There is no reason "WhateEer why the re-
CENTS at New Orleans should not be one
hundred thousand bales. The swamps
and forests of Louisiana can furnish any
supply for generations TO come, One parish
alone. that of Lafourche. is capable Of
an annual yield Of twenty thousand bales
il the proper energy and labor be applied"