The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-03-12


patton, when the novelty of it has worn
off, is found to be full OF hardship and no
inconsiderable danger, hence it is not one
of the most delightful in the world.
There are now fully two hundred vessels
engaged in sponging. These range from
four to even fifty tons burden-the latter,
however, but rarely, while over 1900
men from Key West alone find employ
ment in the business, which yields an an
nual revenue of nearly half a million of
dollars. Add to these figures three hun
dred men and thirty vessels from Appa-
lachicola, and we have the aggregate in
both respects-men and vessels-exclu-
sive of those from ST. Marks, which num-
Der is unknown to the writer, but probab-
ly two hundred men there and elsewhere,
making total of two thousand men.
GENERAL FACTS.
Prior to 1858 all the sponge fishing
along 'the Florida coast was done by ma
tives of the Bahamas. They would go
out three or four miles among the keys
and in water less than waist deep, pick
up several hundred pounds of the finest
quality OF sponges, and sell them at ten
and twelve cents per pound.
1t was not until the above year that
the American or Key West industry COM
menced, and by 1861 the price now$2.OO
and even $500 per pound for the finest
quality, had advanced to about thirty
cents, with about dozen vessels engaged
in the work.
The best "outing" ever made was
in December, 1887, when the proceeds
amounted to $4,000. One firm alone
in Key West, which does about two thirds
of the sponge business transacted there,
shipped during 1888 $277,OOO worth of
sponges, one third of which was sent di-
rectly to Europe; for the remaining two
thirds New York is the distributing point
AS nearly therefore, as can be ascertain
ed, the net income from the business
amounts to $38O,OO0 per year, and that
OF the Bahama islands probably twice as
much.
AS the sponges are found from within
half mile of the coast to as far as twen-
ty miles out, the area fished over is i'm
mense-es estimated roughly at 10000
square miles of water and the greatest
depth at which they haveyet been obtain
ed, forty-fve feet, though the Mediter-
ranean divers have gone as deep as nine
ty feet. Occasionally sponges Of enor-
nous dimensions are taken-as much, for
instance, as six feet in circumference and
from fifteen to eighteen inches high such,
however, are but rarely found and com
mand from 500 to $3.50 apiece, chiefly
for exhibition purposes, as they are prac-
tically worthless for anything else.
When the spOnges reach the warehouses
at Key West, it may be said by way of
conclusion, they are trimmed by men
who clip off with shears the roots and
irregular projections. They are there
bleached in a solution of lime and water;
exposed to the sun for several days in
order to dry them, and by the use of hy-
draulic pressure are put upin bales ofany
size from ten to five hundred pounds, when
they are then ready for shipment. The
description rendered covers all the prin-
cipal points and most of the details of
the business, but have been given at such
length that the writer fears that the pa
thence of the reader has been exhausted;
his only excuse being that he wished to
present the matter in a manner as full
and complete as possible.