74 THE WEALTH OF THE SEA 



also on account of their nitrogenous constituents. 

 Algae contain so much water and so little solid mat- 

 ter and are so difficult to dry that they are usually 

 not transported far from the coast but are used by 

 farmers in the immediate vicinity. 



In Norway and Ireland, Irish moss and other 

 rockweeds are gathered, boiled, and mixed with meal 

 for use as cattle and hog feed. Wrack and other 

 seaweeds are components of certain commercial 

 stock feeds prepared in Norway and Denmark. 

 Seaweeds, however, are rather poor animal feeds, as 

 they are too high in inorganic constituents and are 

 not easily digested ; few animals like them. 



Although the most important use of the Irish moss 

 is as a food, much is utilized in many other ways. 

 In the British Isles it is used as a size. Some is also 

 used as an ingredient of shaving-soaps, calcimines, 

 shoe stains, and certain cosmetics. Its aqueous solu- 

 tions are rather viscous; on this account, it is used 

 for thickening dye solutions used in printing calico. 



From time to time processes of manufacturing 

 paper from algae and other marine plants have been 

 suggested. Excellent paper has been prepared from 

 the eel-grass {Zostera marina), a grass-like plant 

 of the pond-weed family. 



One of the most interesting uses of algae is for 

 decorative purposes. The Japanese use several 

 species, which remain green when dried, for the 

 decoration of their homes on New Year's day, in 

 much the same way that we use holly. 



Many species of algae are used in the manufacture 

 of ornaments and curios. The giant kelp. Macro- 



