10. After studying the cure of pilchards in Cornwall 

 (September 1912), instructions were sent out on which 

 Mr. Hornell conducted at Tanur a most useful experi- 

 ment in true pilchardizing as practised in Cornwall, 

 VIZ., in placing the ungutted fat fish (pilchards) in heavy 

 salt for a week or two, removing them to barrels with 

 loose staved bottoms, and subjecting them to pressure ; 

 the result after two or three days' moderate but increas- 

 ing pressure, is a firm, solid mass of moist pickled fish, 

 and a considerable quantity of good and pure oil almost 

 entirely free from stearine since the fish are pressed 

 at normal temperature when the stearine remains solid 

 and cannot be pressed out of the tissues. This was 

 repeated at Tanur with fat sardines weighing about 

 36,000 to the ton or 16 to the pound, and resulted in 

 about 6 per cent of perfectly clear good oil, with but 

 slight fishy smell, and free from stearine ; the fish, 

 however, were then dried, and when inspected several 

 months later were firm and good, and free from broken 

 bellies owing to the stiffening given by the salt. As fat 

 fish entirely deserted Tanur the experiment could not 

 be repeated, but will be closely examined this year, 

 since it results in good human food, moist or dry, and 

 yet extracts, without the use of fuel, the best part of 

 the stearine-free oil ; the fat remaining in the fish 

 improves it as food. 



11. Canning. — The main efforts of the year were 

 in developing the canning industry of Calicut. Experi- 

 ments were begun in January 19 12 (see paragraphs 14 

 to 16 of the report for 1911-12) and continued till my 

 leaving for England in April ; Mr. Hornell then ably 

 carrlecl on the work till my return in January. The 

 plant in use was smaU experimental plant for making- 

 soldered rectano^ular cans sized as for sardines and for 

 herrings, and round 4^" cans of any depth. The sets 

 of experiments, often with several variants to the set, 

 reached 374 in number, and mainly concerned sardines 

 in oil, plain sardines without oil, mackerel plain and 

 marinated, and plain prawns, besides various minor 

 lines : fish pastes were also worked at. Mr. Hornell and 

 myself are well content with our technical success and 

 we have tentatively decided on certain standards for 

 each class of product ; those of the public to whom 

 samples have been sent are at least equally satisfied. 



