32 2 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



Provinces, although the plant is very common in New 

 England. 



Porphyra vulgaris, Ag. Laver ; eaten stewed in some 

 parts of Europe. It is imported from China by the Chinese 

 living in the United States, and even by those as far east 

 as Massachusetts, although the plant is common on the 

 Massachusetts shore. 



Alaria esculenta, Grev. Common on the New England 

 coast north of Cape Cod. It is eaten in Scotland, but not 

 in the United States. No doubt, Euchemia spiniforme of 

 Key West, Gigartina mammilosa (often gathered by mis- 

 take for the true Irish moss), the Californian species of 

 Chondrus, and some of the species of Gracilaria are quite 

 as good for culinary purposes as the Irish moss. 



Other Uses. — The sea-lettuce {Ulva latissima, L.) is 

 used by owners of aquaria for feeding some of the marine 

 animals, particularly mollusca. 



Many of the seaweeds are used as fertilizers. The 

 larger dark-coloured seaweeds are roughly distinguished 

 by the inhabitants of the shore as rock-weeds, or those 

 furnished with small bladders or snappers, and kelp. The 

 rock-weed of New England is composed almost entirely of 

 three species of Pticus — P. vesiculosiLs, P. nodosus, and F. 

 furcatiis. The kelp of New England is composed of the 

 devil's aprons, species of Laminaria, the sea-colander, 

 AgariL7n tiirneriy and Alaria escidenta. The rock-weeds and 

 kelp are all useful for manure, and are either scattered 

 over the land and allowed to rot, or else manufactured, 

 together with other substances, into marketable fertilizers. 



The red seaweed {Polysiphonia Harveyi) is said at times 

 to be washed ashore in Peconic Bay in such quantities 

 that it is used as manure. 



The great kelp of California {Macrocystus pyriferd) 



