86 



The canned products find a very appreciative 

 market, and the difficulty is not to sell the goods but to 

 supply the demand, especially as experience has now 

 taught us that the lean fish of the later season are use- 

 less for canning plain or in oil, and require some addition 

 such as curry-powder or tomato or mustard sauce. 



14. The new solderless plant from England arrived 

 during the year, but owing to difficulties about a site the 

 factory for its accommodation is only now being built, 

 and will be ready for next season's work, when, if fish 

 are available, it will be possible to turn out thousands 

 of cans where we now pack only hundreds. The new 

 factory is at Beypore where it will have the advantage 

 of supplies from both sea and estuary, while even the 

 deep sea boats can come up to the factory gates. 



15. Fish paste work was also successful, but requires 

 a somewhat larger and better plant which, wiiile costing 

 only a trifle, will enable us to perfect our standard 

 products. 



16. The labelling as "sardines " of canned fish other 

 than the immature " Clupea pilchardus," alluded to in 

 paragraph 17 of last year's report, has been magisterially 

 declared illegal in Great Britain, but the matter is 

 under appeal. The use of the words " Indian sardines " 

 for our fish is certainly justifiable. 



17. Fresh fish. — The useful process mentioned in 

 paragraph 18 of last year's report was again experi- 

 mented on with much success, but was not carried out 

 in its integrity as the refrigerating plant ordered in the 

 autumn was only received in March, too late for being- 

 set up during the season. It is now being placed in 

 position at Beypore, and will be thoroughly tried next 

 season. 



18. The possession of this small refrigerating plant 

 will at last render possible the method of fish drying in 

 vacuo with a vacuum stove of my own which has been 

 awaiting proper trial for several years. It will also 

 enable me to experiment in a preservative method of 

 great promise and cheapness. 



The preservative method alluded to at the end of 

 paragraph 18 of the previous report has also awaited 

 the receipt of the refrigerating plant, but as it has been 

 patented in India and apparently demands a chemical 

 (HgOg) which in the tropics is of great instability and 



