USEFUL ALGAE — CHASE 419 



cheeses. It imparts a smoother texture to the product and also acts 

 as a stabilizer. It has been highly recommended by the manufac- 

 turers of mayonnaise, and Tressler (1923) states that it is superior 

 to gelatin in preventing the disintegration of fish and meat products 

 in cans, as the agar retains its gelling power to a greater extent than 

 gelatin after subjection to the higher temperatures necessary in 

 processing fish and meat foods. Many breakfast and health food 

 manufacturers are incorporating agar in their products since 

 although it has no food value in itself, it helps to modify highly con- 

 centrated diets and acts mechanically in a manner similar to the 

 cellulose of vegetable foods, and consequently can be considered 

 excellent roughage. 



Japan has long been the world's greatest exporter of agar. But 

 considering the large supply of the agar-forming seaweeds that grow 

 on our own Pacific coast and the modern equipment in the factories 

 here, which is far superior to that in Japan, where most of the 

 preparation of the product is done by hand, there is no reason to 

 fear that American manufacturers will be unable to supply all of our 

 needs for this indispensable product. 



Another seaweed that forms a nearly colorless, insipid jelly, and 

 can be cooked with milk, seasoned with vanilla or fruit and thus 

 rendered highly palatable, is Chondrus crispus, the carrageen or 

 Irish moss of the markets. It is a nourishing form of diet for 

 invalids and has been recommended in medical cases as will be seen 

 later. It grows abundantly on the rocky coasts of Europe and on 

 the shores of the northern States of America. 



ChoTtdnis crispus is a red seaweed of the family Gigartinaceae. 

 (See pi. 3, fig. 2.) It is a perennial plant that reaches its full develop- 

 ment in the spring and summer. The tufted plants vary from 

 dark green to red in color and after drying are almost gray or white. 

 The center of the industry in the tFnited States is at Scituate, 

 Mass. In 1939, 200,000 pounds of moss was "pulled" bringing in a 

 total of about $20,000. Two and a half hours before low tide, the 

 mosser puts on oilskin overalls and rubber boots and sets out in his 

 dory, equipped with pulling rake and a bottle of cod-liver oil to 

 smooth the water. The moss is bleached on the beach (pi. 4) where 

 the successive stages in the process, deep purple, dark red, pink, 

 light brown, and finally yellowish white, turn the shore into a 

 gigantic patchwork quilt. The moss is washed in salt water, dried, 

 packed in barrels, and shipped to the market. 



Irish moss is best known as a preparation for delectable blanc 

 manges. It is also used in confections as a filler, and to give body 

 to candy. In ice cream it serves as a stabilizer and prevents melting, 

 since by its use the consistency of the ice cream is only partially 

 dependent on low temperatures. 



430577 — 42 28 



