776 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OP FISH AND FISHERIES. 



because it makes new apparatus uecessary from time to time, but it also 

 diminishes the results, because the *pegs will gradually get loose and 

 fall off. It would therefore be best to dispense with wood altogether, 

 and either construct the apparatus of stone, taking the necessary pre- 

 cautions against mud and excess of light, or construct Mr. Buccich's 

 exceedingly practical apparatus of iron. 



If, after three or four weeks, the sponges have grown firmly to their 

 base, they are sure to develop successfully. Their most characteristic 

 tendency is the desire to grow round. In order to facilitate this in all 

 directions Mr. Buccich strung the sponges on pegs. As regards the de- 

 velopment of the sponge-cuttings within certain given periods we have 

 only very imperfect information, as it was impossible to make continued 

 undisturbed observations. Mr. Buccich says that the cuttings grow 

 two to three times their original size during the first year. He also 

 mentions that the cuttings grew better during the first and fourth (?) 

 year than during the second and third. It is his opinion that, although 

 some pieces will grow to a considerable size in five years, It will require 

 seven years to raise completely matured sponges which are fit to become 

 an article of merchandise. I cannot pass by the fact that besides well 

 developed and growing sponges there were some which outwardly looked 

 perfectly healthy but had ceased growing. 



In conclusion, Mr. Buccich discusses the question whether the enter- 

 prise can, on the whole, be called profitable, and says that he must 

 answer it in the affirmative. He thinks that if all the lessons taught by 

 experience are carefully observed the cuttings will always develop suc- 

 cessfully, and that the loss would at most be 10 per cent., taking into 

 account unexpected accidents and the stationary character of some of the 

 sponges. Calculating the expense of an establishment for 5,000 sponges 

 at 300 florins and the loss at 10 per cent., the price realized by 4,500 

 sponges would indicate the profits. Mr. Buccich calculates the value of 

 4,500 sponges at 900 florins. This sum is, in my opinion, much too high, 

 as the wholesale sponge-dealers in Trieste receive an average price of 8 

 and a maximum price of 10 florins per kilogram of Dalmatian sponges. 

 Sponges fetching the price given by Mr. Buccich ought to have a very, 

 considerable size, and their slow growth justifies the supposition that 

 even after seven years they will not yet have reached that size. It must 

 also be taken into account that the market value of sponges which have 

 been raised on pegs is one-third less than that of naturally-grown ones 

 on account of the hole in the center. The profitableness of sponge-cul- 

 ture would be far more evident if there was not such a long iuterval 

 between planting and harvesting; in other words, if the sponges would 

 grow more rapidly. This was certainly looked for when the enterprise 

 was started, but it is dispiriting to have to wait for your crop for seven 

 ong years. And in order that, when that period has been reached there 

 may be crops every year it will be necessary to invest the same annual 

 amount of capital for a period of seven years.. The apparatus, more- 



