MARINE ALG^E OF BEAUFORT, N. C. 405 



The above directions will serve as suggestions for beginners and will hold for the 

 majority of species, while the experience and ingenuity of the collector will enable him 

 to devise ways to handle the more difficult forms that may be found. 



ECONOMIC USES OF ALXLE. 



From a utilitarian standpoint algae are of value in four ways: (i) As food; (2) as a 

 source of glue, gelatin, and agar-agar for jellies, culture media, and other purposes; 

 (3) as a source of iodine, potassium, and other chemical substances; (4) as a fertilizer 

 which may be applied directly to the soil. 



Since the substances contained in algae have little food value, their use as food must 

 correspond to the use of green vegetables, such as spinach or lettuce, or of condiments. 

 In this way they are used in large quantities and with great relish in other countries. 

 Of the genera in this region, Enteromorpha, Ulva, Codium, Dictyota, Porphyra, Gracil- 

 aria, Hypnea, Chondria, and probably many others might be thus employed. Consid- 

 erable information regarding the use of algae for food and in other ways is given by 

 Smith (1905), by Miss Reed (1907), and by Howe (1917). 



It is well known that the "Irish moss," Chondrus crispus, of more northern shores 

 may be used for the preparation of jelly and blancmange. Only one species, Gracilaria 

 confervoides, has been tested here for this purpose, but from that species a very good 

 jelly was obtained. The procedure is as follows: The plants of Gracilaria are cleaned, 

 washed, bleached, and dried in the sun for several days, being repeatedly washed during 

 this time with fresh water. The algae is then heated in water for one or two hours to 

 extract the gelatinizing substances and is strained. The resulting strained jelly is 

 sweetened and flavored to taste, set in a cool place to harden, and is served with cream. 

 Blancmange may be made in the same way, using milk instead of water. Other gela- 

 tinous algae, as Gelidium, Agardhiella, and Gracilaria rmiltipartita, probably could be 

 used for this purpose in the place of G. confervoides. 



No species of algae occurs in this region in sufficient quantity to be of commercial 

 value for the manufacture of gelatin or agar-agar, but on other portions of our coast 

 gelatinous algae occur in large numbers and probably could be utilized in this way. In 

 the past agar-agar has been made principally in Germany from algae obtained from 

 Japan. It is probable that experiments would show that this could be made from algae 

 growing on our coasts, provided the proper algae could be found in sufficient quantities. 



The algae used as sources of iodine and potassium are the rockweeds and kelps. Of 

 these only Fucus occurs in this region, and this is not in sufficient quantities to be of 

 value. 



In the north the rockweeds and kelps furnish a valuable source of fertilizer, which, 

 after rotting, may be applied directly to the soil. These algae, with the exception of 

 Fucus, are not found here, and no other species grows in the harbor in sufficient quantity 

 to warrant its being gathered for this purpose. After hard storms, however, algae are 

 found on Bogue Beach in enormous masses, composed principally of Zonaria and Sar- 

 gassum. If these were gathered and allowed to rot in the open, where they would be 

 washed free of salt water, they would probably be found an excellent fertilizer and 

 would supply the organic matter needed by a very sandy soil. 



