482  Some  Notes  on  Chondrus.  {AnoaSbertPi8M.m' 
The  beach  extends  probably  20  feet  above  high  tide,  at  the  top 
of  which  the  frame  houses  are  placed ;  back  of  this  there  is  a  grad- 
ual decline  to  the  brackish  salt  marshes. 
The  moss  is  collected  between  the  latter  part  of  May  to  Sep- 
tember. June  and  July  are  the  months  when  the  greatest  amount 
of  collecting  is  done.  The  collectors  frequently  work  during  these 
two  months  from  four  in  the  morning  till  eight  at  night. 
The  women  used  to  be  the  great  helping  hands  in  gathering 
moss,  but  fortunately  for  them  the  moss  is  only  found  on  those  por- 
tions of  the  rocks  that  are  from  15  to  20  feet  below  the  tide,  and 
the  only  way  that  moss  can  be  collected  to-day  is  by  the  use  of  long 
spruce  poles  to  which  is  attached  a  heavy  iron  rake. 
The  men  go  out  in  their  sail  boats  or  dories  (row  boats)  at  half- 
tide,  and  come  in  at  half-flood.  With  their  long  rakes  they  scrape 
the  moss  off  the  rocks.  The  amount  collected  varies  with  the  sea- 
son, but  the  quantity  usually  gathered  is  about  50  pounds. 
The  men  return  with  boats  and  cast  anchor  until  the  tide  is  high, 
when  they  row  out  and  bring  their  dories  to  the  highest  point  on 
the  beach,  thus  saving  considerable  energy. 
They  then  carry  the  moss  from  the  boats  to  points  higher  on  the 
beach  in  boxes  about  2  feet  square,  and  made  of  lathes.  These  are 
practically  suitable  trays,  so  that  two  men  can  handle  them. 
The  moss  is  spread  out  on  the  beach  and  exposed  to  the  weather 
for  a  week  or  so.  The  action  of  the  sun  and  dews  is  to  bleach  the 
moss. 
The  product  is  turned  over  every  few  days,  and  at  the  end  of  a 
week  is  of  a  light  purplish-yellow  color. 
It  is  then  put  into  half  hogsheads  and  covered  with  canvas.  On 
clear  days  they  roll  the  half  hogsheads  containing  the  moss  to  the 
brackish  marshes  and  fill  the  hogsheads  containing  the  moss  with 
salt  water.  The  canvas  is  again  put  on  and  the  half  hogsheads  roll- 
ed up  on  the  beach  and  the  moss  uniformly  spread  out  on  the  beach 
to  dry  to  be  further  bleached.  The  salt  water  seems  to  preserve 
the  moss,  as  well  as  assist  in  the  bleaching  action  of  the  sun. 
This  is  then  raked  over,  the  women  assisting,  until  dry,  and  the 
treatment  repeated  four  or  five  times  until  the  moss  is  of  a  light  yel- 
lowish or  white  color.  The  more  favorable  the  weather  has  been 
and  the  more  successful  the  treatment  the  whiter  is  the  product.  . 
When  fully  prepared,  the  moss  is  put  into  barns,  and  in  the  fall  is 
