No. 3 (1921) MANUFACTURE OF FISH OIL AND GUANO 167 



rapid and cheap communications — were generally dried on the 

 beach, as at the present day, without salt, exposed, sometimes for 

 weeks in showery weather, to the ravages of maggots, birds, 

 insects, dogs, and what not, and to the loss of nitrogen and tissue 

 by putrefaction ; millions of the fish remain as mere shells, as may 

 be judged by the fact that 5 tons of fresh fish may average only 

 lH tons of dry fish after deducting the adherent sand, whereas 

 similar fish salted and properly dried, will average about 2^ tons. 

 Not only so, but the valuable oil is worse than wasted, for, under the 

 powerful solar heat, the oil exudes abundantly and hardens into a 

 gum like substance which agglutinates to the fish quantities of the 

 sand on which they are dried; moreover in turning over the fish 

 with forks, further quantities of sand adhere to the gills and 

 interior of the fish. Hence, considering the intrinsic value of the 

 fish as oil producer and fertilizer, this method is as wasteful as 

 possible; the nitrogen and phosphoric acid which the agriculturist 

 needs, are at a minimum, hardened oil and sand which are useless 

 and even mischievous to him, are at a maximum ; the oil which 

 is industrially needed is entirely lost. Commercially the estate 

 Agents of the coast give no guarantee to planters as to fertilizing 

 contents, while in purchasing the stuff they allow 15 per cent for 

 sand in fixing the price and deduct, pro rata, for any excess; the 

 writer has seen a specimen from bulk which showed 42 per cent 

 of sand. In South Kanara, and possibly elsewhere, where tobacco 

 is largely grown, this plant is fertilized with sardine manure 

 prepared as follows : the tresh fish are simply dumped into pits in 

 the sand where they remain till absolutely rotten, perhaps for one 

 or two months ; the putrid mass is then forked out and applied to 

 the growing plants. The stench is intolerable, and for some miles 

 is almost unendurable even when merely passing by rail through 

 the area. Here the waste in the absorbent sand pits must be as 

 great as the result is atrocious. 



If oil was desired it was prepared by filling old canoes with 

 fish, pouring some (boiling) water on them and exposing the mass 

 to the sun till complete putrefaction resulted, by which the oil cells 

 were disintegrated and the oil gradually floated to the surface 

 whence it was skimmed off and used ; the mass was apparently 

 too putrid for pressure or further use, and though some may have 

 been used for manuring coconuts, etc., the bulk of it was thrown 

 away. The whole process was so great a public nuisance that the 



