BIOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY 237 



material and soon thereafter the factory was adapted to agar production. 

 In 1945, the Van Sant Company was sold to M. Wronker Stansfield and 

 associates, who had previously held part interest in the firm. The name was 

 changed to Beaufort Chemical Corporation. Production capacity was in- 

 creased, methods improved, and strenuous efforts were made to obtain 

 sufficient agar raw material to keep the factory in operation at full capacity 

 the year around. A poor year for Gracilaria conjervoides followed, possibly 

 because of low salinities, and the factory could not operate continuously. 

 In 1948, the property was purchased at a court sale by Sperti Foods, Inc. 

 Subsequently, IMr. H. S. Leahy became manager of the factory. In 1948 

 and 1949 many additional improvements were made in production methods 

 and equipment, and year-around operation was assured by stock-piHng a 

 supply of Gracilaria joliijera obtained at Sebastian, Florida, to be used 

 whenever seaweed was not available from North Carolina waters. 



SEAWEEDS UTILIZED 



So far, three species of North Carolina seaweeds have been processed at 

 Beaufort. Gracilaria conjervoides has been the principal plant, but consid- 

 erable quantities of G. joliijera (synonym: G. midtipartita) have been used, 

 especially in 1946. During 1946 and 1947, a new type of phycocolloid with 

 unique properties was made from Hypnea muscijormis. A patent has been 

 granted the writer and assigned to Duke University relative to a method 

 for preparing Hypnea extractive. 



METHODS OF COLLECTION 



All economic seaweeds in North Carolina grow in shallow water in 

 sounds or bays where the depth is from one to six feet at low tide. Fisher- 

 men often load skiffs in shallow water by means of forks or rakes, a method 

 that is rather slow. Greater efficiency in collection of seaweeds could be 

 accomplished by specially designed nets or trawls. Shrimp trawls have been 

 used to locate drifting Gracilaria in deeper water but are not entirely satis- 

 factory for collecting, as a full trawl is too heavy to handle. 



In some localities, nets are set across currents to catch drifting seaweed 

 and the accumulation removed at frequent intervals. Nets are usually effec- 

 tive during one direction of tidal current only, and after north winds of 

 fall have caused loose seaweed to move off shallow areas on which it grew. 



Considerable quantities of seaweed are collected along the shore. Drift- 

 ing seaweed in the fall usually washes ashore on a south-facing beach such 

 as that of Harkers Island. If collected within a few days after reaching 

 shore, it is of good quality although it may contain a quantity of foreign 

 material such as eelgrass. 



