Production and Distribution Moss is not produced or handled commercially in any states other than Louisiana and Florida. Approximately 98 per cent of all commercial moss is shipped to upholsterers in the North, East and West. Annual Production A large tree in a dense forest of Louisiana may produce as much as a ton of grey or green moss. The weight is reduced about 80 per cent when the moss is cured. Thus, a ton of green moss yields a quarter of a ton of ginned moss. Spanish moss was once used only for packing breakable goods. But the upholstering trade soon discovered that it was excellent for cushions. It is now used for cushioning the seats of chairs and davenports for living rooms. Its uses in upholstering are, of course, unlimited. Moss Gin Machinery The ginning process of the cured or dried moss cleans out the twigs, dirt, trash, and all foreign matter. The moss gin is a simple affair. The moss is first hand picked; that is, all the large pieces of foreign matter, such as bark and lumps of mud, are removed. The moss is then placed on a belt which carries it to a toothed cylinder revolving within a toothed concave, which is partly enclosed in a drum. Fans blow out the dirt, the moss is loosened up, and the strands are straightened. The moss is then baled and made ready for shipment. A bale of moss weighs from 125 to 150 pounds. The Moss Picker There is no such thing as a moss farmer. A man may own a farm on which there is a dense forest, and may gather his own moss. But as a rule he either sells it or gives it to a moss gatherer. The gatherer sells it to a gin already cured. For the cured moss he naturally receives a higher price The moss gatherer goes from place to place picking moss where he finds it. As in every other kind of business, some of the moss gatherers do well, even make good sums of money; others merely eke out an existence.
MOSS-HUNG TREES ALONG THE BAYOUS OF LOUISIANA IN THE OIL PRODUCING SECTIONS MAKE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY. |
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