168 



RKPORT OF rOMMISSTONKK OK KISII AND FISHERIES. 



IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OK SPONGES. 



As tlio yi(^l(l of (loiiiostic spon^'cs is not (miuuI to tlic (Icmuiid. 1;ii'l;-c 

 quantities arc impoitcd ciich yoar. the orcatci- ]);ut of these coining- 

 from the Bahama Ishinds, Chiha, Haiti. (Jreece, .Viistria-IIiuioarv. and 

 Turkey. J^urino- the tiseal yeai' ending ,]u\m ?>(). li*(»0. the imports of 

 foreign sponges amounted in vahie to $536,308, almost as mucli as the 

 value of the catch of domestic sponges for the calendar 3'ear liXlO, 

 which was ^oOT.GHo. Huring 1000 we exported 71. 642 pounds of 

 domestic sponges, A'alued at $32,19!t. most of wliich went to (Jreat 

 Britain, German}'. Netherlands, Belgium, and France. ]\Iost of these 

 were grass sponges, for ^v'hich there is very litth^ demand in this 

 countrA'. We also exported $81,100 worth of foreign sponges which 

 had been previously imported. PjXC(>pt in the imports during liKK) 

 there has been very littl(^ lluctuation during tiie last threes years. The 

 following table shows the imports and exports for the tiseal years 

 1896. 1897, 1898, 1899. and 1900: 



Tahle shoivhiff the imports and exports of sponges in 1S9G, 1897, 189S, 1899, and 1900. 



STATISTICS OF THE FISHERY. 



The season of 1900 was one of the ))est that the spongers have had 

 for years. Owing to the unusual clearness of the water on the '' kej' 

 g'rounds " the spongers were enabled to work over almost all the 

 grounds, a thing whicli has not happened foi" some 3'ears. This was 

 especially noticeable around Sandy Key. near Cape Sable. Usuall}^ 

 yellow, muddy water is found stretcliing out for al)Out 40 miles in 

 every direction from this key, except toward the maiidand, which is 

 about 4 miles distant, and from a distance the surface looks like a light 

 yellow mud bank exposed at low watiM' after the mud has had time to 

 dr}'. Last season was the first time in al)out fourteen years in which the 

 spongers were ena])led to work this section. A noticeal)le feature 

 was the unusual number of rotten sponges gathered on this ground. 

 No sign of this rot appeared on the surface of the sponge, but after 

 it had l)een cleaned it could easily 1)e seen by pulling aside the tiber 

 at the l)ottom. In some of them tiie whole inside had l)een rotted 

 away while the exterior presented a clean, healthy ai)pearance. 



The tables show the condition of the industry foi- I9oo. The great 

 preponderance of Key West is \ erv notic(>able in all of the tables, 



