Show I HOW TO CHOOSH SPONGE N Y World I Although the difference between a good and a bad sponge is very marked but few people seem tobe able to appreciate ap-preciate it Due first Requisite of a good sponge is that it ibuld be dark in color The beautiful yellow sponges commonly seen in druggists windows are a delusion and a snare The natural nat-ural color is a ligfnt medium blown and the yellow sponges have been bleached by a vitriol bath which destroys de-stroys their elasticity and makes them wear out much soonel The feel of a sponge should be velvety vel-vety it should compress into a very small bulk by squeezing anti it must be of a uniform color The best and most expensive are Levant sponges I They come from the eastern Mediterranean I Mediterra-nean The Dalmatian sponge is next in quality and price There are very I many others however known to the trade as horse sponges Zimocca sponges spon-ges yellow velvet sheepswool and glove sponges The prettiest and at the same time the cheapest is the grass sponge which is made up of myriads of small filaments and looks like a ball of yellow Wool The majority of sponges used in this 1 country comes from Florida Cuba also 1 supplies a good many The sponge after being detadhed from the bottom either by a dredge net or an instrument something like a sickle which is made for the purpose is allowed to lie iin the sun until the flesh decomposes The sponges are then trodden underfoot under-foot in running water until the flesh is all washed away leaving the skeleton which isthe sponge as we know it If the decomposition is allowed to go too fat yellow spots will appear upon the sponge and damage ifc They are then packed and sent to the dealer and taf I tor a further washing put on the market mar-ket The export trade of New York in sponges is very large and they are ex pouted to c1t country in Europe |