1 26 



I o. Oil and onano. — Only cibout 2} tons of fish guano 

 and a proportionate amount of oil were made during- the 

 year owing to the unprecedented famine of sardines. 

 A forward contract for 10 tons — subject to the capture 

 of hsh — had been made with a planter ; early in Febru- 

 ary it was by consent attempted to make up this small 

 amount by local purchases, but only half a ton was 

 available on the whole coast from Tanur to Mangalore 

 and that was offered at double the normal rates. This 

 incident demonstrates the character of the scarcity ; the 

 250 private factories did hardly any work during the 

 season. There were forward contracts made by parties 

 on the coast for 400 and 500 tons which were absolutely 

 unfilled. 



New and simple plant intended to promote the 

 manufacture of the best oil at the lowest cost and in the 

 simplest manner is in hand. 



11. Cannery. — The same scarcity of fish entirely 

 spoilt canning operations at Beypore ; sardines were 

 only obtained five times in four months and mackerel 

 were but moderately available. Hence the number of 

 tins packed was very small, especially of sardines. The 

 applications received and declined for want of stock 

 number hundreds. 



For lack of the true oil-sardine (Clupca Longicehs 

 or " nalla matti ") the chala matti (Clnpea fiuibriata) 

 was tried, but proved to be fit only for third-class work, 

 being lean, tasteless, and very bony. 



The new plant for making solderless tins was suc- 

 cessfully brought into operation, but had only scanty 

 scope for its considerable capacity. 



12. Fish frozen after the Henderson method was 

 very successfully prepared and experimentally distri- 

 buted. A small refrigerating plant and oil-engine had 

 been set up, in which the fish, previously cleaned and 

 slowly cooled to about 35^ F. to get rid of the animal 

 heat, was plunged into clean brine at a temperature 

 of from 10° to \^^ F. The frozen fish when removed 

 were packed in paper and a basket with 2 or 3 inches 

 of paddy husk as insulation, and in this way travelled 

 successfully for se\^eral hundred miles and up to two 

 days in time on many occasions, without a single failure, 

 even though, as personally seen, the parcels were 



