The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1895-07-18

divided into two classes-"wood chop
pers" and ''moss pickers." During the
summer months, when the crops are
''laid by" they go into the dismal
swamps, pushing their crooked ways
along through ''canals," bitches and
bayous, in pirogues, skiffs, canoes or
RATS, picking up from the dark green
waters all of the flakes and punches OF
moss that the winds have blown down
from the huge Spanish oaks that stand
like specters In the watery forest of soli-
tude. Each picker has a long pole with
an iron hook at the end. and, after he
has gathered the floating punches, he
reaches up into the trees and pulls
down from the heavily-laden branches
the long, thick punches that hang from
the limbs in such wild confusion,
wreathed artistically by the hand OF
nature.
The pickers then climb the heavily
laden trees, walk along the numerous
branches, picking the flakes OF moss
and throwing them down ints the
boats. When the boats have been load
ed, the men pull for the shore, where
they have scamp" The mass Is
piled in heaps and water is thrown
upon 1t, where it swelters in the sun,
until the men have dug long trenches,
into which the moss is thrown, wet
down, and earth thrown over it. Here
| it remains buried for two or three
| months. This "kills" or "cures" it.,
| without which it is not marketable
commodity. The burying process kills
the outside bark of the moss, thus max
ing it soft and flexible. Were it not for
this process our beds, chairs, sofas and
carriage seats would not be SO soft and
| pleasant.
Louisiana moss Ii "live" plant, II
feeds on air, and not from any sub
stance derived from the live oak or
Spanish oak on which it is found. It
ONLY needs the tree for an elevated
position to get air. It feeds on the ma
laria of the swamps, somewhat purify
ing the air and making it healthful
for the pickers who are gathering it to
be buried. It dies as room as the tree
dies, however, because the bark OF the
tree among which it's tendrils CREEP
has decayed and peeled off. The moss
then turns black, as if draped in mourn
ing for it's benefactor. This article Is
called "black moss" }" and is graded il
commerce as second class.
The prime article, or living moss, is o
q gray greenish color, having lont
branching fbers, with trumpet SHAPED
flowers of peach blossom color.
grows rapidly, and it seems not to hav
q root, as straw blown from one tre
to another soon grows into thicl
bunch. Its element is on the tops an
branches of living trees In the darkes
swamps where sunshine rarely enters
covering as with mantle the tops an
huge limbs of the herculean trees tha
rise up in their glowing grandeur i
these almost impenetrable lakes an
bayous. It is a creature OF the hckl
winds and is blown from the oaks an
, cypress to the highlands adjacent to th
swamps, and finds lodgment in tn
sweet gum, elm.and ash, and cover
them as fringe, or as the backgroun
Of gloomy picture, with its long pei
nants and festoons, solemnly swayin
In the wind, remindfu1 Of the wavin
black plumes of long procession
hearses.
The moss along the margins of thes
lakes and bayous is gathered by "woot
choppers" The men fell the trees an
the picking is much easier. It is pile
up In heaps and finally buried, the1
!. after it has been s'cured," according
the usual calculation, 1t is dug up, sea
, tered along on posts and trenches an
dried. It is then hauled to market, {
Ito the nearest "store, where it balet
! or tied up, in rather loose manner,
bales Of from 800 to 800 pounds, as
seems convenient, and shipped to Il