Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-05-29

proved successful, SO tiilt private indi-
viduals went into the business There
are many acres Of sponge farms neal
Key West, and others at Anclote, Fla
and near Tampa. These farms We're first
supplied with their seeds from the fish
commissioners, but now they are OBJ
.ained 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 i'll
! the spring these spores are liberated in
the larger body of water, whore they
, soon swim around. The eggs continue to
/ grow rapidly, and in a 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
flows in freely that has a 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 ont to sea again. Some
simply throw their sponges i'll such q
lagoon il the fall of the year and let the
protoplasm develop there. Under proper
cultivation the spOnges thus raised are
superior to those found III the sea. Only
the best varieties are propagated. The
"sheepswool' is the choicest, with tex
ture fine, soft and strong. These sponGes
sell for from 81. so to $3 Il poand. The
yellow" sponge is next i'll 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 10 do with it except
at harvesting time. The spongcs grow
slowly and usually three years clapse be
fore any are pulled up. Then only the
choicest. full grown ones are gathered.
The Others are left to produce new seeds
and 70 reach . larger size. The picking
of sponges III farm of this nature il
much simpler than to raise them from
the deep waters Of the guf. Armed with
2 long loaded pole boatman can easily
haul up the sponScs that he needs, and
i'll the course of Il day he could gather
three times the quantity pulled up by
the regular sponge fishermen off tba
coast The water is comparatively shall
low over the artificial beds, and not dis
turbed by tides, floating debris CT winds.
1t is also very clear and peliucid. so that
one can sec the bottom for Il long dis
tance down. Occasionally one finds =
sponge farm where deep sea sponges are
cultivated, ard 1t Is Necessary, then, To
have dive to gather them. Here again
the work Is made easier. The diver runs
no risk from sharks, tides or other ir-
cCnyeniences that daily beser those of
the coast.
The value of the sponge farm increases
every year despite the annual harvest
that - taken thcTefrom. Tie new
spOrCes are spreading until every square
inch of the bottom and sides of the pond
are covered with young ard old spongcr.
If no dis2a 3es or enemies get into the
bed, the srn;ccs will then yield euCr-
nous crops year after year. TIE annual
income from = good sized bed ranges
FROM : ,OG0 to SIC, 900, according ro its
size. location aud aGe.-fhiladelDhia