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of ponds, the small depressions, and the wet furrows; and steer 

 clear of the bushy places. 



In this connection, there is one other important point to be 

 borne in mind, and that is transportation facilities. Any tract of 

 moss, to be of practical value, must be reasonably accessible. 

 It is hardly worth while paying any attention at all to bogs that 

 are situated away ofif where it will be practically impossible to 

 get material out, even if it is there. 



Finally, how is the material collected and prepared for use, and 

 what are the sphagmim dressings themselves like? 



The method of collecting and preparing sphagnum for use in 

 surgical dressings, as outlined in Professor Porter's Instruction 

 leaflet,* is essentially as follows. For collecting the stuff old 

 oat or potato sacks are used. These are first thoroughly cleaned 

 and boiled. A carefully filled sack is about as much as a man can 

 conveniently handle, particularly where, as is usually the case, 

 there is a considerable stretch of soft, boggy footing between the 

 collecting ground and terra firma. Collecting the moss is not 

 always easy work. In many places the conditions are such that 

 only men can do it, but in other places women and even children 

 can be employed. Under proper guidance, however, this part of 

 the work can very well be performed by laborers. Very likely 

 boy scouts could be used to advantage. 



The detailed steps in collecting are somewhat as follows. 

 After selecting a place where the material is as good and as clean 

 as possible, the collector seizes a double handful of the moss, 

 grasping it as low down as possible, and pulls it up bodily. He 

 then squeezes the wet, spongy mass to get rid of the bulk of the 

 water, pulls out any coarse plants that may be present, removes 

 any muck or decayed matter from the bottom, and places the 

 material in a sack. This operation is repeated until the collector 

 has either exhausted the supply or obtained as much as he can 

 handle. 



The next step in the process is the drying and sorting. From 

 the bog the sacks of moss are carted to some place where the 



* Instructions for the collection and preparation of sphagnum moss for surgical 

 purposes, pp. 1-7. Canadian Red Cross, Montreal. 1917. 



