The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-12-12
SPONGE CULTURE.
A Proposal to Garry It On by
Artificial Means.
Reckless Fishlng Threatening to Exter-
inmate the Natural Supply Of
the Great Producing
Conterp.

Several causes have recently COM
bined to reduce the supply Of sponees
in the American market. The paralysis
OF all industry in Cuba in consequenc
of the civil war now prevailing there
is one of them. The West Indies, l;a-
hamas and Florida are the principal
centers OF production in this part OF tie
world. Reckless fishing, which threat
ems 70 exterminate the sponges, much
as similar proceedings do the seals oil
the coast of Alaska, is another factor in
the situation. These facts lend
peculiar interest to the propo-
sition recently made to The
United States government, through
its consular agent at Mitylene, by
Greek named Charalampos Chorphios,
to establish the business Of artificially
cultivating sponges somewhere on the
Florida coast, if he can get conces-
sion. great deal has been done III the
past, under the auspices of the national
and stale fishery commissions, toward
restocking American lakes and rivers
with trout, bass, shad and salmon, with
small fry llatched and nurtured under
iuduAk hA~c''Ef
| too, have much to do with the culture
Of the oyster and the maintenance of
| the supply OF that bivalve. But the
| reasonahleness of the project OF Mr..
| Chrophios does not rest slone on these
| precedents. Neurological experts in
Washington are said to have shown
confidence in its practicability. They
say that by taking proper measures the
Florida sponge fisheries could be
brought TO higher state Of productive
ness in few years The men already
| engaged in the industry might not,
however, relish this interference in be-
half of the public. f-Es@ar ~
The tough, soft, elastic, fbrous moss
which is TO lie had at the druggists, un'
der the name OF sponge. is really the
skeleton which once supported whole
colony Of jelly-like creatures which
hare built up that structure. These
propagate, naturally, in two ways, by
means of spores or eggs, and by the
formation of buds which eventea'l,
split of from the mature polyp. Th'
scientific sponge culturist proceeds OF
plan which utilizes both of ;hos'
methods, but is like a common practic
IN horticulture. He simply cuts up Tn
tenement house of COLONY into mum
Der of pieces, employing sharp knit
or razor for the purpose, and conduct
ing the operation while the pulpy mas
| is still under water. He is also carttu
to leave portion of the original cute
surface on each fragment. Each bi
may then be loaded with small sou
or other sinlSer to take it to the bottor
again. A few of these sections fall I
revive: but the great majority, ate
an interval of two or three months, h'
gin to thrive and eventually grow TO
considerable size.
There are hundreds of distinct sr'
cies of sponges, but scarcely dozen AZ
suited to mans use. 1t is asserted thu
those which are obtained from Med
terranean waters are the finest in tt
world; yet the delicate "sheep's WOO
and velvet sponges of Florida al
a wonders of softness and beauty. An
. if a system of artificial culture shou
come into vogue these choice varleti'
could be produced almost as abundan
ly as the coarser grades are now
Ut Y. Tribune.