Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-03
QUEER KINDS OF sEAwEEDs.

Some That Reach Gigantic Size and Others
That Are Useful.
There is much that 10 wonderful to be told
about seaweeds," said q naturalist to a writer
for THE STAR. "Some Of them are giants in
size. One species common in the North sea
frequently grows to the length of thirty or
forty feet, developing in the shape Of q long
cord about the size of q quill, attached at one
end to the bottom and the rest supported by
the water. This is nothing, however, to the
prodigious 'macrocystis,' which attains !, 500
feet in length. Another variety found In the
tropics reaches q length OF TWENTY-FIVE or
thirty feet, with trunk as thick as a man 8
thigh. The hollow stem Of species Indigenous
to the neighborhood of the Cape OF Good Hope
was formerly used by the natives as a trumpet
when dried. Still another kind furnishes the
savsges OF some parts of Australia with vessel Is,
many implements and even food.
''Seaweeds vary surprisingly in their habits
OF ilfe Some species grow altogether beneath
the water, attaching themselves below the
lowest tide level Others frequent heights.
whore they are left dry at every retrea ting
tide, while others yet are found in situations
where they are scarcely ever covered IL waite,
Whereas most of them attach themselves to
rocks Or solid bottom, keeping to the shadows,
there are exceptions to this rule, among which
the most remarkable is the sargasso' or gulf
weed which floats on the surface of the ocean.
Immense fields OF it are seen by the navigator
extending as far as the eye can reach. 1t ID
sometimes SO abundant as seriously to inter-
fere with the progress of ships and it was this
which 80 alarmed the crew of Columbus on his
first voyage of discovery.
''Of all tribes Of plants seaweeds are COM
monty reputed to be the leas; useful Yet this
belief does them great injustice. They supply.
directly and indirectly. the food upon which
most hshes and other animals of the ocean de.
pend, the smaller creatures feeding upon the
plants themselves, to be gobbled subseq uently
by the larger ones. Many varieties of these
curious vegetables furnish a wholesome and
palstable food FOR man and are used by the
poorer classes along the shores Of northern
Europe, while others are reckoned luxury by
the rich. One edible kind is called Irish bog
moss, while from another are formed the
birds nests which are considered such deli.
cacy by the Chinese, the best being sold for
nearly their weight in gold. These nests are
constructed by bird resembling the swallow
which reduces the seaweed in its beak to q
geatinOus mass before employing it for build.
ing:
Formerly the glassmaker and soapboiler
obtained moft Of the aikaii required for their
manufactures from the ashes of q kind of sea.
weed called 'kelp.' The discovery of glass is
SAID to have been originally made by sailors,
who, being cast ashore by shipwreck, kindied
hre on the sand. utilizing dry seaweeds al
fuel Beneath the ashes they subsequently,
found II mass OF vitrifed matter which re-
suited from the union at high temperature of
the soda Of the seaweed with the slick of the
sand. One Of the most important substances
used by the physician is iodine. made from the
ashes OF seaweeds, which is q nearly certain
remedy for some complaints which were for
merly considered incurable. 1t is also one OF
the most important agents employed in the
processes of photography.
"A kind Of seaweed which is plentiful on the
coast OF China furnishes an admirable glue and
varnish. When dried, it is waterproof. and il
is employed to fill up the interstces in bamboo
net work. OF which windows are frequently
constructed IN that country. 1t is also utilized
to strengthen and vsrnish paper lanterns"