I02 



railways may, as they then will, provide not only special 

 refrigerating cars, but favourable rates ; (4) it must 

 organize so that the supply of ice, packing, etc., shall be 

 as abundant and cheap as the climate will permit, for 

 ice even at 4 pies per lb. (^3-2-6 per ton) for an Indian 

 fish trade is absurd. At present no proper organization 

 exists, though there are iDeginnings ; conditions (i) and 

 (2) are however not observed, (3) so partially that the 

 railways can give no special facilities, and (4) only 

 partially, viz., in the case of one or two firms which can 

 command ice. 



The experimental station cannot deal completely with 

 this problem which is a trade question, save by hammer- 

 ing at the proper treatment of fish up to shore, by 

 instituting — as is desirable for other purposes — a tem- 

 porary carrier, by illustrating in a small refrigerating plant 

 the possibilities of cold storage as when the supply of 

 fish on hand exceeds the demand, and by co-operating 

 with and stimulating business firms. "^^^ 



24. But iced fresh fish must, for many years, be a 

 luxury confined to the well-to-do ; the fresh fish trade/i?;- 

 the nmltiiude, i.e., preserved without ice, may however, 

 be somewhat, perhaps largely, developed ; if fish are 

 alive or quite fresh at shore as the new methods may 

 ensure, they may be despatched further inland than 10 

 or 12 miles ; given also certain preservative precautions 

 and they may be sent still further ; an enlargement of 

 the fresh fish belt from 10 miles to 20 or 30 would 

 enormously increase the population reached. This 

 introduces the question of preservatives which, apart 

 from ice, has been only alluded to, but must now be fully 

 considered. 



25. Absolute soundness is a primary necessity 

 whether the fish are to be sold fresh or cured or canned. 

 This is not properly observed in this Presidency espe- 

 cially in cured fish, for the reason that not only are fish 

 often tainted or on the verge of taint when brought to 

 shore but they are then hawked about for sale as fresh 

 fish, and only those which cannot be so sold are sent for 



* A method of freezing fish, as invented by Mr, J. R. Henderson of London 

 who has ])ermilted the free use of the invention in India, is now (1915) being 

 tried in the experimental station at Beypore : fish treated by this method can be 

 safely transported M'ithout ice and in ordinary packing for at least a 24-hour 

 j curacy. 



