The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-06-01
SpoNGE GARDENING.
PROFITABLE SEA FARMS ALONG THE
FLORIDA COAST.

Concerning AN Article Of Utllity-Asalst-
Anes 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 cf becoming exhausted ef-
forts have been made to cultivate spOngeS |
ON farms or artificial beds, and more re-
Gently science has tried to initiate the
gznine article by converting the soft
hber Of The cocoanut leaves and shells |
into sponges of commercial value. |
Sponge farming is now a 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 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
gioners 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,
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 ut all, and it was found that
in order to cultivate the sponges it was
necessary to plant sponges that pre-
duced certain cells that contained tn
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-
yiduals 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 s,.re - 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 III with natural for
nations and artificial dams. The sponge
seeds are kept in small pounds"
| through the winter, where the masses Of
protoplasn develop and grow. Early in
the spring these spores are liberated in
| the larger body of wutcr, where they
soon swim around The eggs continue TO
! grow rapidly, and i'll short time attach
/ themselves to the rCckS or coral forIna-
/ tion ut the bottom Of the water.
1t is very difficult TO get the right
location for IN ideal sponge bed An
/ arm of the sea where the salt water
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, 50 that when the seed is put in fresh
it cannot float ont TO sea again. Some
simply throw their spOnges III 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 Ill the SEA Only
the best varieties are propagated. The
'sheepswool'' is the choicest, with a tex
ture fine, soft and strong. These spOnges
sell for from 81. so TO IS a pound Tie
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 troub'a.
After the sponge farm Is once started
there is little lore to do with il 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
long loaded pole boatmAn can easily
haul up the sponges that he needs, and
in the course Of a 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.
1t is also very clear and pelldcid, so that
one can see the bottom for long dis
lance down Occasionally one finds q
sponge farm where deep sea sponges arr
cultivated. and it is necessary, then, e
have diver to gather them. Here again
the work is made easier. The diver rum
no risk from sharks, tides or other in
conveniences that daily beseu those OF
the coast.
The value Of the sponge farm increases
every year despite the annual harvest