102 SEA-WEEDS. 



spots where the ebbing of the water leaves it, for 

 many hours daily, quite open to sun and air. 

 Sometimes it exists in a very dwarfish condition, 

 on places where it is only spattered by the spray, 

 except at such times as the ocean is raised by 

 wilder storms beyond its usual height on the 

 shore. It is seldom more than five or six inches 

 high, and when in fructification, its pods grow in 

 pairs at the end of its branches. It is a favourite 

 food of cattle. Sir J. E. Smith says, that they 

 never fail to browse on it in winter, whenever the 

 receding tide leaves it free of access to them. 



There are, besides these, two other species of 

 Fucus, belonging to our British genus of that 

 name, but they will be left unnoticed, as not being 

 common plants. All these species, as well as some 

 other of the olive-coloured sea-weeds, are burned 

 for kelp, for the service of the glass and soap 

 manufactories. The Knobbed Fucus seems the 

 most valuable plant for this purpose ; but the ser- 

 rated species, as well as some kinds of those large, 

 leaf-like marine plants called the oar- weeds, con- 

 tribute also to the kelp-burning. Time was, when 

 this preparation of kelp was a source of livelihood 

 to many ; but among the changes which have been 

 made by the improvements in chemistry during 

 late years, other means have been found of pro- 

 curing soda by a less expensive process, and the 

 kelp-burners have had little to do. The weeds, 

 when intended for kelp-burning, were cut from 

 the rocks, or gathered from the shore, by men, 

 women, and children, and laid in the sun to dry. 

 They were then made up into little mounds, till 

 the summer was over, when they were thrown 

 into pits, where they were lighted and left to 



