American Fisheries Society. 243 
the living part of the sponge. Sponges can be kept out of the 

water for a considerable length of time without injury—as long 
as seventy-two hours I believe, provided they are moist. The 
clippings which Dr. Moore has used are like these. (Indicating. ) 
One important point about this method is that sponges which 
because of their quality or irregular shape have no value in the 
markets can be used for planting purposes. 
It is probable that under favorable conditions sponges can be 
successfully grown for market within eighteen months, and cer- 
tainly sponges as large as it would be necessary for the sponge 
culturists to grow can be put on the market in thirty months, 
perhaps even twenty-four months. 
This is a sponge taken from the wild ground in the vicinity 
of some of Dr. Moore’s experiments. I call attention to the 
quality of this sponge and ask you to compare it with some that 
have been artificially grown. 
This is an artificially grown specimen supposed to be twenty- 
one months old. It was dead when taken from the wire and 
therefore its exact age cannot be determined. This is as fine a 
sponge as is produced anywhere in the world, and it has a very 
decided advantage over the wild sponge in that its texture is 
firmer ; it contains no coralline rock, worm tubes or other foreign 
matters which are ordinarily found in wild sponges, and it has 
no base, where, as you know, the ordinary commercial sponge 
rots, and as a result the sponge has a comparatively short period 
of usefulness. 
This is another sponge recently brought from his experi- 
mental farm (exhibiting sponge), and, although it does not rep- 
resent the largest size that he has grown from these little cut- 
tings, still it is a fair-sized sample. These sponges as you will 
see, are of admirable quality for toilet purposes. This specimen 
which I show you is supposed to be about thirty months old, and 
it too was dead when it came from the wire. (Applause. ) 
