The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-12-25
ARTIFICIAL SPONGE CULTURE.
Increase the Supply
Greatly.
A Proposition

A Proposition to Increase the Supply
@ Greatly.
Several auses have recently combin-
ed to reduce the supply of sponges in
the American market, says the New
York Tribune. The paralysis Of a: in
dustry in Cuba in consequence OF the
CIVIL Wal now prevailing there is n
OF them. The West Indies, Bahamas
and Florida are the principal centers OF
production in this part of the world.
Reckless fishing, which threatens to ex-
terminate the s~x>onges, much as SINH
lar proceedings do the seals of the
coast OF Alaska, is another factor In the
situation. These facts lend peculiar
interest to the proposition lately made
to the United States government,
through it's consular agent at Mitylene,
by a Greek named Charalampos Choir
phlos, to establish the business OF ar
tlnclally cultivating sponges sore-
where on the Florida coast, if he an
get a concession. A great deal has been
done in the past, under the auspices of
the national and state fishery commits
slons, toward restocking American
k and rivers with trout, bass, skad
n salmon, with small fry Matched and
nurtured under human management.
Artificial means, too, have much to do
with culture of the oyster and the
maintenance of the supply of that BIZ
valve. But the reasonableness of the
project of Mr.. C%horphios does not rest
alone on these p~recedents. lc~hthyolog-
lcal experts in Washington r said to
have shown confidence in it's practical
blllty. They say that by taking prop
en- measures the Florida sponge fisher
les could be brought to a high state of
productiveness in a few years. The
men already engaged in the industry
might not, however, relish this inter-
terence in behalf Of the public. The
tough, soft, elastic, fbrous moss, which
is to be had at the druggists, under the
name of sponge, is really the skeleton
which once supported a whole colony
OF jelly-like creatures which have built
up that structure. These propagate, ma
turally, in two ways, by means of
spores or eggs and by the formation of
buds which eventually split off from
the mature polyp. The scientific sponge
culturist proceeds on a plan which util-
ICES both of those methods, but is like a
common practice in horticulture. He
simply cuts up the tenement house of
a colony into a number of pieces, en-
ploying a sharp knife or razor for the
purpose and conducting the operation
while the pulpy mass is still under
water. He is also careful to leave a
portion of the original outer surface on
each fragment. Each bit may then be
loaded with a small stone or other sink
err to take it to the bottom again. A
few of these sections fail to revive; but
the great majority, after an interval of
two or three months begin to thrive and
eventually grow to a considerable size.
There are hundreds of distinct spe-
cies of sponges, but scarcely a dozen
are suited to mans use. 1t is asserted
that those which are obtained from
Mediterranean waters are the finest in
the world; yet the delicate Sleeps
WOOL and "velvet' sponges of Florida
are wonders of softness and beauty.
And if a system of artificial culture
should come into vogue these choice
varieties could be produced almost as
a%bundantly as the coarser grades are
now.