The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-05-15
SPONGES ARE ANIMALS.
THAT IS THE OPINION THAT
SOME HAVE OF THEM.
They Are . Natural Curiosity, Although
SO COmmOn-Where the Best
SP0nges Grow-Preparing
Them For Market.


at various times many theories as to
the nature of sponges. Some have
classed them with the vegetable and
others with the animal kingdom.
Everybody knows of the sponge in the
household, but comparatively few
know the extent of it's employment
and few are aware of the capital in
vested in this enterprise. It will be
an interesting item of information to
the reader to know what sponges
really are, how they are obtained and
by what process they are prepared for
market.
When the sponge is brought up alive
out of the sea it does not at all resem-
BILE the sponge of commerce. It is
then surrounded by an outer skin,
simple, unorganized membrane, in
which the pores appear or disappear at
the animals will or-supposing that a
sponge has no will-owing to local en-
vironment. When the sponge is cut
open it is found to somewhat resemble
raw beef, and is intersected with can
ais and cavities. lined throughout by
sticky, glutinous substance of a gray
ish brown color and of the consistency
Of treacle. This the fishermen call
the milk" of the sponge. By the
peculiar properties of digestion and
reproduction which it possesses, it sus-
tains the life of the animal and propa-
gates it's species. The sarcode is the
only part of the sponge that is alive,
the flexible skeleton to which it is at
tached being inorganic.
Through the numerous exterior small
pores the surrounding water is drawn,
carrying with it the food of the sponge
in the form of particles of animal and
vegetable matters. This stream of
water passes along the intersticial can
ais to the innermost part of the sponge,
thus passing over a large area of the
sarcode, which constantly draws to
itself the particles of matter to be
presently digested. The water is then
taken up by similar series of canals
the minute vessels gradually branching
off into larger ducts, and forced out
through the oscula at the surface
These latter are the larger holes at the
surface of the sponge skeleton. These
vigorous movements are induced by
ciliary action; that is, the movement
in one direction of the tiny filaments
like eye-lashes. It is believed that the
sarcode possesses a nervous system,
for at an alarm the pores close and the
processes of inhalation and inhibition
cease.
Propagation of the different varie-
ties takes place in two ways-l,y the
formation of germules, or by the di-
vision of the creature. The little
germule. which is yellowish capsule,
floats out of the parent sponge and at
taches itself to any suitable neighbor-
ing object, such as a rock, and here it
grows, slowly becoming larger by add
ing to that marvellous skeleton which
we daily use in our bath or at our
toilet
The outer membrane in which the
sponge is found has to be removed soon
after the sponge is fished. If this be
not done fermentation followed by
speedy qualification sets in, and from
being tough and elastic it becomes soft
and fiabby, and with the least pressure
the fermented juice oozes out, giving
off most offensive odor. It is then
no longer of any use. The organic
part of the sponge, it will thus be seen,
has to be taken from its bed. This has
to be done on the fishing grounds,
sometimes long before the boats return
to port. AS the process is necessarily
rude and incomplete, it has to be sup
plemented by more careful cleaning
process when the sponge is received by
the sponge merchant
The Mediterranean produces by far
the largest quantities and the best
kinds. On the coast of Spain, France
and Italy sponges find no home. They
are found on the Turkish side of the
Adriatic. Large quantities are found
in the West Indies, Cuba, the coasts of
Florida and Mexico. These kinds are
all cheaper than the Mediterranean.
The chief centers of the sponge
commerce to-day are London and New
York. The trade has undergone vari-
Gus changes and received fresh i'm
pulses of late years. The Importation
of unsanded Mediterranean sponges
has developed immensely. They were
formerly sanded and valued by weight,
but to-day they are almost altogether
sold in perfectly clean condition by
the piece. Florida. Cuba and Bahama
sponges are sold compressed in bales
by weight.
Florida, Cuba and the Bahamas pro-
duce the coarser grades, viz: Sleeps
wool, velvet, yellow, grass, hardhead
and reef. The first four are used
principally for carriages, railway and
sleeping-cars, and for general washing
and cleaning purposes. The two lat
ter are small sponges, and used princi-
pally in schools and for pen-wipers,
etc.
Those produced in the Mediterranean
are bath, silk Turkey toilet, Zimocha,
Turkey solids, fine cups, fiat toilet pot
tiers Cor elephant ears), Zimocha pot
ters and surgeons. The bath and toll
ct sponges are classed into first, second
and third qualities, of over one hun
dred different sizes.