606 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
A certain number of cuttings die, while others continue to live indefinitely 
without increasing in size; the materials of attachment deteriorate; but Schmidt 
and Buccich admit that in the hands of a careful operator not more than ro per 
cent of loss need be expected. Applying these results, we see that 5,000 cuttings, 
the cost of which is 735 francs, would give at the end of seven years 4,500 sponges, 
valued at 2,205 francs, and thus an average increase in value of 210 francs. In 
a regular enterprise in which 5,000 cuttings were put out every year a lump sum 
of 5,880 francs would have been expended at the end of seven years, and from 
this on a profit of 1,470 francs would be obtained annually. Marenzeller deems 
the estimate of the price of sponges exaggerated, observing that the sale of such 
planted sponges would be difficult on account of the central perforation left by 
the bamboo sticks. The valuation would be correct if each sponge weighed 25 
grams and could be sold at 20 francs per kilogram. 
In the Bulletin de la Société d’Acclimatation (1879, p. 372) it is said that 
Schmidt and Buccich advise not to allow the cuttings to reach the current size; 
the cuttings might be allowed to develop only for three years, at the end of which 
period sponges would be gathered at a smaller size but would be sold at 0.10 
franc. Four thousand sponges would cost 225 francs, including the interest of 
the capital for three years (which would be far from the valuation given above) ; 
the sale price being 400 francs (without deduction of the 10 per cent), we would 
have a profit of 175 francs. We must observe that the sale price of small sponges 
might fall below 0.10 france if sponge culture, understood as above, became a 
current practice and flooded the market with small sponges. 
In spite of the optimism of O. Schmidt and Buccich, they were obliged to 
interrupt their work. The Dalmatian fishermen crossed themselves as in the 
presence of a miracle when they saw the cuttings growing on the devices of 
sponge culture; later on, becoming more bold, they continually disturbed the 
apparatus with their nets and more than once they even stole it. In short, these 
classical researches had to be abandoned entirely on account of lack of protection 
against the fishermen. 
Fogarty, agent of the firm of MacKesson & Robbins, has made similar 
experiments at Key West. ‘The localities where the sponges were placed were 
not very happily chosen and the growth of the cuttings was not as rapid at it 
might have been. The cuttings of sheepswool were about 21% inches thick; they 
were maintained at the bottom under about 214 feet of water by means of wire or 
sticks put through them. Four months were required by the sponges to com- 
plete the healing of their wounds, and they did not grow during this time. One 
cutting was placed in a creek where there was no current, or very little, and its 
growth was very slow; the others developed very rapidly, and four months after 
they had been placed they had grown to four and six times their size. A total 
