12 postelsia 



plant is dried and bleached and taken to 

 the markets. In the agar-agar factories 

 the raw material is boiled in water and 

 converted into a semi-transparent, glue- 

 like liquid, which is allowed to cool in 

 the air. This fresh agar-agar, called 

 Ten by the Japanese, is a favorite sum- 

 mer dessert. In the winter the Ten is 

 prepared in large shallow boxes, cut into 

 long blocks and frozen, in which condi- 

 tion it is known as Kan-Ten. It is used 

 in confectionery and has also its use in 

 the bacteriological laboratories of the 

 world as a culture medium. One defect 

 of agar-agar in the last named use is its 

 opacity. Methods of electro-bleaching 

 have been devised by one of my friends, 

 which will perhaps obviate this difficulty. 

 Chondrus crispus, elatus and ocellatus 

 (Tsuno-mata, Hosokeno-mimi). These 

 plants are dried in the sun and are after- 

 wards boiled up into a starch for linen 



