The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-04-22


AnOs Rendered the Industry by thu Gov
srnment's Fish COmmIaaIon.
Ever since the sponge fisheries of the
Bahamas and the gulf coast Of Florida
showed signs Of becoming exhausted ef-
forts have been made to cultivate spongea /
ON farms or artificial beds, and more re- |
Gently science has tried to initiate the
genuine article by converting the soft |
Hber of the cocoanut leaves and shells |
into sponges Of commercial value. |
Sponge farming Is now n successful in |
dustry, and hundreds of acres in the gulf |
of Mexico along the Florida coast are |
planted with sponge cuttings" and |
seeds. The work In 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 20 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 il was found that
in order to cultivate the sponges il was
necessary to plant sponges that pre-
duced certain cells that contained til
ova or egg and others that represented
spermatOzoa-
A small sponge farm was established
at Washington, and then others alona
the Florida coast as experiments. These
proved successful, so that private indi-
viduRls 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 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 ut 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
pr toplasm 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-
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 in freely that has n 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
mp, SO that when the seed is put in fresh
| it cannot float out 10 sea again. Some
simply throw their sponges in such a
| 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
"sheepSwool" is the choicest, with tex
ture fine, soft and strong. These sponges
sell for from @1. 80 to &S pound The
yellow" sponge is next in quality, and
its price is much less than the "sheeps-
wool" " The grass" sponge raised IL
very limited. for its value is too small
TO pay one for the trouble
| After the sponge farm is once started
there is little lore 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 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
1 in the course Of day he could gather
three times the quantity pulled up by
| the regular sponge fishermen of the
coast. The water is comparatively shall
low over the artificial beds. and not dis
turbed by tides, floating debris or winds
IL is also very clear and pellucid, SO that
one can see the bottom for long dis
tance down Occasionally one finds n
sponge farm where deep sea sponges are
cultivated, and it is necessary, then, TO
have a diver 70 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 increases
every year despite the annual harvest
\ that ia taken fherafror Tho navy