FISHEKIES OF THE NEW ENGLAND STATES. 285 



Irish moss ( CJiondrus crisjyus) is an edible seaweed found in many 

 places along the Massachusetts coast, but more particularl}^ in the 

 vicinity of Scituate, where the catch in 1902 amounted to 500,000 

 pounds, valued at $22,500. The total catch of the state was 690,000 

 pounds, valued at $31,050. 



The apparatus used in gathering the " moss'' consists of a rake made 

 especiall}' for this purpose, measuring 12 to 15 inches across, and hav- 

 ing from 24 to 28 teeth 6 inches long, with a space of about an eighth 

 of an inch between the teeth. These rakes have handles 15 or 20 feet 

 long and are used from boats. But a small portion of the crop is 

 gathered b}^ hand. 



The product is usually held pending orders for shipment, and there- 

 fore is distributed through a large and varied territory. The princi- 

 pal cities to which it is shipped are Philadelphia, New York, Boston, 

 and Portsmouth, N. H., but it is also utilized in smaller cities through- 

 out the United States and Canada. A small percentage of the crop is 

 sold to wholesale druggists and grocers; the larger portion is disposed 

 of to brewers and to firms which make a specialty of brewers' sup- 

 plies, being used for clarif3'ing and imparting bod}" to beer. It is also 

 used for making blanc mange and jellies, and for a variety of purposes. 

 The price in 1902 was -1 to 4:\ cents per pound, and in 1903 from 5 to 

 5i cents. 



The variation from 3"ear to year in the supply of Irish moss seems 

 to be governed largely by the inclination or disinclination of fishermen 

 to engage in the business. Some seasons a large number of persons 

 gather the seaweed, while in other 3"ears only a few are thus emplo^'ed, 

 with a consequent increase or decrease in the product. At times, how- 

 ever, severe storms on the coast do a great deal of damage to the fishery, 

 tearing the seaweed from the rocks and scattering it widespread 

 over long stretches of the beach. The method of gathering also is 

 destructive. In some localities the rocks are almost completely 

 denuded, leaving such a scant growth to produce the next season's 

 crop that the yield is necessarily light. 



If the rocks are not gleaned too closely in the earl}^ part of the 

 season it is said to be possiVjle to get two crops in some of the warm, 

 sheltered coves, where the plant grows much faster than in the more 

 open and exposed places. The season extends from Ma}" until Sep- 

 tember 1, the first of the crop usually going on the market in August. 

 It is shipped in barrels holding 100 pounds each, flour and sugar bar- 

 rels being largely used for this purpose. Ver}^ little, if any, Irish 

 moss is shipped in bales. 



In the preparation and curing processes good weather and plent}' of 

 sunshine are the prime requisites. The seaweed when brought ashore 

 is washed and then spread upon the sandy beach, where it remains for 

 twenty -four hours, after which it is raked up, put into tubs, and given 



