332 The Sea-weeds of Yar-Connauglit, [July, 



proper, grow between high and low water ; such as " Fucus vesicu- 

 losus," " F. noclosus," and " F. serratus," with many others of httle 

 importance; besides these are the weeds found in deep waters, 

 that have somewhat the aspect of the Eed weeds, and are called 

 Reeshagh, namely, " Chorda filum," " Himanthalia lorea," and 

 " Laminaria bulbosa." The last named are burned along with 

 the black weed by fair dealers in kelp, but by others are used to 

 adulterate the red weed, although they contain merely a trace of 

 iodine ; sometimes, however, they may be added to compensate for 

 the soluble salts lost from the red weed that has long been exposed 

 to the atmosphere, as the influence of the latter partially decomposes 

 the weed, and the alkaline salts hberated are washed away, including 

 much of the iodine compounds. If this damaged weed is burned 

 alone, the earthy salts and matter in excess from the loss of the 

 alkalies, cause the mass to be comparatively infusible, and very dif- 

 ficult to burn, but by adding " reeshagh " (which is rich in " He " 

 (oil), as the natives say, but in reality on account of its containing 

 much of the potash and soda salts) the infusibility of the earthy 

 salts is corrected, and the product is a nice-looking, well-fused mass, 

 yet necessarily poor in iodine. This is the plan usually adopted with 

 damaged red weed; but good burners, instead of using "reeshagh," 

 add to it fresh well-saved red weed, as the latter contains sufiicient 

 alkahne salts to flux the earthy salts and matter of the old weed, 

 and form the mass into a kelp containing all the iodine salts of the 

 new weed with whatever remains m the damaged article. Neces- 

 sarily the product will not have as high a percentage of iodine as if 

 the kelp was manufactured from the fresh well-saved red weed 

 alone ; however, the kelp procured from the mixture is found to pay 

 better than if the iodine which remained in the damaged weed 

 were totally lost, and without some flux or another it is unat- 

 tainable. 



Sea-weeds grow much more rapidly in strong tidal ways than 

 elsewhere. In such localities the black weeds arrive at maturity 

 in two years, while in the land-locked cooses, creeks, and bays, 

 where there is a sluggish tide, they will take three or even four 

 years. The growth of the red weeds is also affected by the tide, 

 the plants being more luxuriant in a good race than elsewhere. 



The great sea-weed harvests are in the spring and summer 

 months; nevertheless, during the winter the inhabitants of the 

 coasts collect what may be driven in by the tides and storms, 

 which is locally known by the names of "Claddagh," or "Sea- 

 wrack," to spread on the lands they intend to till and crop 

 subsequently. In the spring of the year the great work begins, 

 as the inhabitants then cut from the rocks the two or three 

 year old plants, according to the situations in which they are 



