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monstration, that there were very valuable elements 

 in seaweed, which were entirely dissipated and lost 

 by the old native mode of manufacturing kelp. That 

 mode was the burning of the seaweed in open kilns 

 along the sea-shores ; and the author of the paper 

 showed that this burning was most wasteful, and that, 

 in particular, almost all the iodine — at that time 

 a most valuable product — was evaporated in the 

 fire. I was so interested in this paper, both in a 

 scientific and in a practical point of view, that I put 

 myself in communication with the author, Mr. C. C. 

 Stanford. I laid before liim all the doubts which 

 occurred to me whether the result of experiments on 

 a small scale in the laboratory would be borne out 

 when like chemical operations were required on a 

 large scale, and in respect to so bulky a material as 

 raw seaweed. On his replying to the effect that he 

 was satisfied of the . soundness of his calculatioas, I 

 informed him that I could give him an ample field to 

 work on, the shores of an Island AA'hich had once sup- 

 plied annually from 200 to 300 tons of the old kelp; — 

 that if his calculations were even an approach to the 

 actual results, the profits would be large to him, and 

 would afibrd once again an important industry to the 

 people. He answered that he was unable to supply 

 the considerable amount of capital which would be 

 requisite, and on this ground alone declined my pro- 

 posal. A few days later, however, he informed me 

 that he had reconsidered the matter, and thought he 

 could get together a small company which should 

 undertake the experiment. This was the origin of 

 the Seaweed Company, which has since for twenty 

 years efi'ected an important revival of the trade in 



