SPONGES AND THE SPONGE INDUSTRY 333 



wool, yellow, velvet, grass, glove, wire, reef, hard- 

 head, Turkey cup, Turkey solid, Turkey toilet, 

 zimocca, honeycomb or bath, and elephant-ear. Of 

 these the Turkey solid and Turkey cup, which are 

 produced in the eastern Mediterranean, are the 

 finest and softest, and two of the most elastic sponges 

 known to commerce. The massive ones are known as 

 solids, and the cup-shaped ones as cups. Honeycomb 

 or bath sponges are also important Mediterranean 

 sponges. They are very soft but are not especially 

 durable. 



The sheepswool is the most important American 

 sponge, constituting about ninety per cent of the 

 value of the American product. When unbleached it 

 is used for washing automobiles, railroad cars, and 

 other vehicles; by painters, decorators, potters, 

 tanners, tile and brick layers; and for other pur- 

 poses. Bleached wool sponges are utilized principally 

 for the bath and other household purposes. 



Sponges up to eight inches in diameter are com- 

 monly used entire and are called forms, whereas 

 larger ones or those that are irregular or torn are 

 usually divided into pieces called cuts. The more 

 valuable sponges are regular in form and of fair size. 

 Some are spheroidal, some are cake-shaped, and 

 others are conical or cupped. 



Light colored sponges are more valuable than 

 dark ones, although intrinsically there may be no 

 difference. Naturally light sponges are more valu- 

 able than bleached ones. For most purposes soft 

 sponges are desired? and therefore soft gnes com- 



