The Somerset reporter., 1895-05-23
SPONGE GARDENING.
PROFITABLE SEA FARMS ALONG THE
FLORIDA COAST.

Interesting Facts Not Generally Known
> Concerning an Article of Utility-Assist-
ance Rendered the Industry by the Gov
ernment's 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 tho
genuine article by converting the soft
fiber Of the cocoanut leaves and shells
: into sponges of commercial value
Sponge farming is now a successful in
dustry, and hundreds Of acres i'll 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 i'll 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 were be-
ing rapidly depleted Of the best stock,
an examination of the fisheries was made
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
in 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,
and near Tampa. These farms were first
supplied with their seeds from the fish
commissioners, but now they are OBJ
tanned direct from the sponge fisheries
In the autumn of the year the various
kinds of sponges are purchased by tho
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 i'll with natural for
nations and artificial dams The sponge
seeds are kept in small pounds
through the winter where thu masses Of
protoplasm develop and grow Early in
the spring these spores are liberated i'll
the larger body of water, where they
soon swim around The eggs continue tc
grow rapidly, and IN u short time attach
| themselves to the rocks or coral fOrma
tion 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 III freely that has ii natural hard
bottom is the best. Rocks, stones and
bottom for the sponges to fasten them
selves to. The lagoon is then damned
up, So that when the seed is put IN fresh
/ 1t cannot float ont To sea again Some
simply throw their sponges in such "A
lagoon III the fail Of the year and let thu
protoplasm develop there. Under proper
cultivation the sponges thus raised ara
superior to those found in the sea. Only
the best varieties are propagatcd. The
"sheepswool" is the choicest, with IA tex
ture fine, soft and strong. These sponges
sell for from 81. 30 to So IA pound. Tho
yellow sponge is next i'll quality, and
its price is much less than the Sleeps
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 tho
choicest. full grown ones are gathered.
! The others are left to produce new seeds
and to reach 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 "a 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
| sponge farm where deep sea sponges arc
cultivated and it is necessary then, tn
| have diver to gather them. Here again
the work is made easier, The diver runs
no risk from sharks, tides or other in
conyenienCes that daily beset those off
the coast.
The value of the sponge farm increases
every year despite the annual harvest
that is taken therefrom Tho new
sponges are spreading until every square
inch of tho bottom and sides of the pond
are covered with young and old spongcs.
If no diseases or enemies get into tho
bed, the sponges will then yield enor-
nous crops year after year The annual
income from good sized bed ranges
from 81 900 to $40 900, according to its