REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 125 



received in previous year.s in being unqualitiedly favorable. The 

 following, from Mr. William H. Jordan, collector of customs at 

 Gloucester and one of the leading vessel-owners and fish-dealers, 

 shows the way in which the tile-fish is regarded in the leading fishing- 

 port of the country : 



The tile-fish arrived in the best of order, having been very carefully prepared, 

 and I distributed them among fourteen of my acquaintances. I have heard from 

 nearly all of them, and they have expressed themselves as highly pleased with the 

 (luality of the fish, considering them delicate and of high flavor. I, myself, found 

 the fish exceptionally good, and enjoyed my dinner from it. Certainly it would 

 seem to me that if the people could become familiar with the tile-fish in some such 

 manner of distribution as you have made through me, it would open up a demand 

 for a large quantity of the fish, should they be caught. 



The prospects for the inauguration of a special tile-fish fishery from 

 Gloucester, Boston, New York, and several other ports now seems 

 much more promising than at any previous time. The investigations 

 of the Commission have shown a great abundance of tile-fish over a 

 wide area adjacent to our shores and clearly indicate that a profitable 

 industry may be developed. 



THE GROWING OP SPONGES FROM ClTTINGS. 



The experiments in sponge-culture begun in Florida imder the direc- 

 tion of Dr. H. F. Moore during the preceding fiscal year have been 

 continued during the present year, and it is believed that considerable 

 progress has been made toward the development of a practical com- 

 mercial system of sponge-culture. The constant aim has been to 

 reduce as far as possi])le the niceties of experimental work to a basis 

 adapted to the requirements of the practical sponger. 



As stated in a previous report, several thousand sponges were planted 

 in Januai-y and February, 1901, and at the end of six weeks these were 

 found to be growing well. Examination in November, 1901, however, 

 showed that most of the cuttings had died and that some of them had 

 been stolen for the value of the wire to which they were attached. 

 Most of these plants were made upon copper wire, which, while it has 

 the power of resisting to some extent the action of salt water, is in 

 some localities more or less subject to corrosion, and the salts produced 

 are inimical to the sponge, causing it to die near the point of attachment 

 and fall from its support. During the present 3"ear it has been sought 

 to overcome this difiiculty by using insulated copper wires, so that the 

 cuttings would not be brought into contact with the bare metal. 

 Further improvement was made in slitting the sponge cuttings and 

 placing them astride the wire or other support to which they were 

 attached, and then binding the surfaces of the flap in close apposition 

 by means of a wire. In the course of a few days the two flaps grew 

 together and the cutting became permanently attached, independently 

 of any artificial binding. Temporary tie wires of aluminum wire were 



