The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-03-12
SPONGE CULTURE.
A Proposal to Garry It On by
Artificial Means.
Reckless Fishing Threatening TO EIter-
inmate the Natural Supply of
the Great Producing
Centerz-

Several causes have recently com
hined In reduce the supply of sPonees
in the American market. The paralysas
OF all industry in Cuba in consequl nee
OF the civil war now prevailing thcre
- one Cf them The West Indies. lSa-
hamaS and Florida are the principal
centers OF production IN this part o. the
world Reckless fishing. which threat
ems % eNterminate the sponPes. much
as similar proceedings do the seals of
the coast OF Alaska. - aacther factor in
the situation. These facts lend
peculiar interest to the PROMO
Sition recently made to :he
Jnlted States government, through
lis consular agent al Mitylene, by a
Greek named Charalampos Chorpiics,
TO establish the business OF artificial!y
cultlNating spongeS somew here on the
Florida coast, if ne can get a oorees-
sion \ great deal has been done in ihe
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 hatched and nurtured under
human management. Art fetal means.
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-
,hrophioS does not rest alone on these
Irececsnts- Neurological experts in
Washington are said TO have shown
confidence II lis practicability. Thcy
~ay that by taking proper measures the
Florida sponge fisheries could be
brought TO a higher state Of productive
ness in a few years. The men already
engaged in the industry might net,
however. relish this inter ference in tie
half Of the public
The tough. soft. elastic. fibrous moss
which is 10 IL had at the druggists. ull-
der the name of sponge. Is really the
skeleton which once supported a whole
colony cf jelly-like creatures which
have built up that structure. These
propagate. naturally, in two wavs. bv
means of spores or egg. and by the
formation OF buds which event..ally
split of from the MATURE polyp- The
scientific sponge culturist proceeds on
"a plan which utilizes both of those
methods. hut i Ike a common practice
IN Horticulture. lie simply cuts up 1ne
tenement house Of a colony into num-
her of pieces employing a sharp Enlfe
or razor for the purpose. and conduct
ing she operation while the pulT.y mass
= StIll under water. He Is also careful
TO leave "a portion of the original cuter
surface on each fragment Each bit
may then he loaded with a small some
OF other Sinker 10 take IL To the bottom
again. \ few of these sections fail TO
revive but the great ma ajority. after
an interval of two or three months, be
gin TO thrive and eventually grow 10 q
considerable size
There are hundreds of distinct spe-
cies Of sponges. but scarcely a dozen are
suited To mans use. II Is asserted that
those which are obtained from Medl-
terranean waters are the finest in the
world; Vet the delicate Sleeps WOO
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 abundant
" as the coarSer grades are now.-N-
y Tribune