Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-12-11
SPONGE GARDENING.
PROFITABLE SEA FARMS ALONG THE
FLORIDA COAST.

concerning an Article u Ctihty-Ass1st-
ance Rendered the Industry by the Gov
ernmcnts Fish Commission.
Ever since the sponge fisheries of the
Bahamas and the gulf coast of Florida
showed signs of becoming exhausted eff
forts have been made to cultivate sponges
on farms or artificial beds, and more re-
Gently science has tried to initiate the
genuine article by converting the soft
fiber of the cocoanut leaves and shells
into sponges Of commercial value.
Sponge farming is now successful in
iustry, and hundreds Of acres in the gulf
of Mexico along the Florida coast are
planted with ''sponge cuttings" and
seeds. The work is not dissimilar in
many respects to oyster culture. The
young sponges are planted in water
along the coast varying from one to five
fathoms in depth.
A few years ago the fish commits
sioners had their attention called to the
sponge fisheries off the Florida coast,
and after finding that the beds We're be-
ing rapidly depleted Of the best stock,
to ascertain some way of preserving
them. The specimens of sponge taken to
Washington in the autumn of the year
were found to be reproductive if the
proper conditions were supplied. The
sponges in the autumn were found to de-
velop masses of protoplasm or spores,
which in the spring of the year were lib
Grated. These spores contained the small
reproductive PARTICLES from which the
sponges developed. Some of the sponges
experimental with did not reproduce
their kind at all, and it was found that
III order to cultivate the sponges it was
necessary to plant spOnges that pro-
duced certain cells that contained the
ova or egg and others that represented
spermatozoa-
A small sponge farm was established
at Washington, and then others along
the Florida coast as experiments. These
proved successful, SO that private indi-
viduals went into the business. There
are many acres Of sponge farms near
Key West, and others at Anclote, Fla i,
and near Tampa These farms were first
supplied with their seeds from the fish
tanned direct from the sponge fisheries.
In the autumn of the year the various
kinds of sponges are purchased by the
sponge culturist, who generally takes an
assortment that is sure to supply him
with both the male and female cells.
The beds, or farms, are usually locat-
ed at some well protected place along
the coast and fenced in with natural for
nations and artificial dams. The sponge
seeds are kept in small pounds"
through the winter, where the masses of
protoplasm develop and grow. Early in
the spring these spores are liberated in
the larger body of water, where they
soon swim around The eggs continue to
grow rapidly, and in a short time attach
themselves to the rocks or coral forma-
ton at the bottom of the water
1t is very difficult to get the right
location for an ideal sponge bed. An
arm of the sea where the salt water
flows in freely that has natural hard
bottom is the best. Rocks, stones and
other substances can be dropped at the
bottom for the sponges to fasten them
selves to. The lagoon is then damned
up, so that when the seed is put in fresh
it cannot float out to sea again. Some
simply throw their sponges in such q
lagoon in the fall of the year and let the
protoplasm develop there. Under proper
cultivation the sponges thus raised are
superior to those found in the sea. Only
the best varieties are propagated. The
"shecpSwool' is the choicest, with tex
ture fine, soft and strong. These sponges
sell for from 81. 80 to So pound. The
yellow" sponge is next in quality, and
its price is much less than the "sheeps-
wool" The grass" sponge raised is
very limited, for its value is too small
to pay one for the trouble.
| After the sponge farm is once started
there is little more to do with it except
at harvesting time. The sponges grow
slowly and usually three years elapse be-
fore any are pulled up. Then only the
choicest, full grown ones are gathered.
The others are left to produce new seeds
and to reach a larger size. The picking
of sponges in farm of this nature is
much simpler than to raise them from
the deep waters of the gulf Armed with
a long loaded pole boatman can easily
haul up the sponges that he needs, and
in the course of day he could gather
three times the quantity pulled up by
the regular sponge fishermen off the
coast. The water is comparatively shall
low over the artificial beds, and not dis.
turbed by tides. floating debris or winds.
1t is also very clear and pellucid, SO that
one can see the bottom for long dis
lance down Occasionally one finds q
sponge farm where deep sea sponges an
cultivated, and it is necessary, then, te
have diver to gather them. Here again
the work is made easier. The diver runs
no risk from sharks, tides or other in
conveniences that daily beser those of
the coast.
The value of the sponge farm increase.
every year despite the annual harvest
that is taken therefrom. The new
sponges are spreading until every squar,
inch Of the bottom and sides of the POND
are covered with young and old sponges
If no diseases or enemies get into tn,