250 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



or by exposing them to the action of the waves in so-called 

 "crawls" or pens, tintil the skeletons are entirely freed of animal 

 matter. They are then hung up to dry, baled, and sent to the 

 market. Sometimes sponges are more quickly prepared by being 

 bleached with chemicals. This gives them a very light color 

 but impairs their quality. Sometimes when sold by weight 

 they are adulterated with sand. 



Sponge-fishing has been carried on so unwisely and with so 

 little thought [for the future, that the supply has been steadily 

 declining in recent years, and lately the governments of the 

 various countries concerned, foreseeing the almost certain de- 

 struction of the sponge industry, have attempted to regulate 

 it in various ways and also to increase the supply by artificial 

 propagation. 



In Florida and Italy, more or less successful progress has been 

 made, especially in the matter of sponge propagation. This is 

 done in the winter season by choosing uninjured specimens and 

 cutting them up into fine pieces about an inch square, on a 

 board kept moist with sea- water. These "cuttings" are then 

 placed on the ends of sharpened stakes held upright in a weighted 

 wooden framework. This is sunk in a sheltered bay with a 

 rocky bottom, free from mud, and protected from cold currents. 

 If properly treated in this manner sponges will treble their size 

 in a year and will be ready for the market in from five to six 

 years. 



[36] 



