^3 



f.o.r. Cannanore. The pronounced flavour of these 

 smoked ungutted sardines is absolutely free from taint, 

 and arises solely from the character of the fish and from 

 the salt and smoke, combined with the natural oil. The 

 Indian consumer should approve of these goods as a 

 substitute for tainted fish. 



The above figures assume salt at hsh-curing yard 

 rates, viz., lo annas per maund of 82 lb., not at the 

 Cannanore Bazaar rates of Rs. i-io-o per maund ; 

 also labour at local rates. 



Dried sardines gutted in local fashion were sold at 

 the Station at Rs. 3-4-0 to Rs. 3-13-8 per 10,000 

 which, in the smaller sizes, represent about one maund. 

 Hence the ton of such fish represents 270,000 fish worth 

 Rs. 88 to Rs. 103, averaging Rs. 95. But 270,000 

 small sardines represent about 5 tons of fresh fish of 

 which a full half is lost in oruttinQ- and the resulting 2i 

 tons dry into about i ton ; these 5 tons cost about Rs. 60, 

 so that after adding about Rs. 5-8-0 being the cost 

 of salt on 2^ tons of gutted fish, viz., 8J maunds at annas 

 10, and labour, etc., Rs. 12-8-0 for gutting and hand- 

 ling 270,000 fish weighing 5 tons when ungutted, or 

 Rs. 78 in all, there is a fair profit. The waste of material 

 in gutting is here apparent ; it is slightly less with 

 larger fish of which 28,000 sometimes go to the ton 

 instead of 50,000 or more of small ones. Fish placed 

 ung'utted in salt, as now practised at the Station, and 

 then dried, were found to weigh 180 lb. per 10, coo and 

 36,500 weighing 655 lb. were sold for nearly Rs. 15, or 

 Rs. 50 per ton. In this method the ton of dry fish 

 represents about 2j tons of fresh fish — dryage being 

 the only source of waste — costing Rs. 27 ; salt at i to 6 

 on the gross weight cost, at annas 10 per maund, Rs. 

 6-8-0, and labour not more than Rs. 4-8-0 at Rs. 2 

 per ton since there was no gutting and a less gross 

 weight was handled ; hence the cost per ton of dried 

 fish was not above Rs. 39, which gives a profit of Rs. 1 1. 

 Under the Station system of utilising old brine the 

 cost has been decreased and profits improved, whether 

 for gutted or ungutted fish. As mentioned above, the 

 real profit from the Station method of salting and dry- 

 ing without gutting is the ability to save, as tintainted 

 food, as many tons of sardines as can be brought 

 to shore, whereas the slow and laborious process of 



