153 



Letter — from Sir F. "A. Nicholson, k.c.i.e., I.C.S., Hono- 

 rary Director, Madras Fisheries. 

 Dated — the 12th August 190S. 



In modification of paragraph 9 of my letter No. 100, 

 dated 13th July, on the subject of a cannery station near 

 Tellicherry, I now offer to Government the suggestion, 

 to start a small fish-oil and fertilizer factory at the same 

 place. 



2. My reasons are as follow : — 



(i) To popularize the idea and the methods of 

 preparing oil and fertilizer it is, I find, not enough to 

 await developments by European firms ; their methods 

 and processes will be kept very secret, as is natural, and 

 will therefore not serve as object lessons to people who 

 require to have the matter forced into their notice. The 

 possibility of profits on unfamiliar stufi of little local use, 

 prepared in a corner by unknown processes, and marketed 

 in distant countries by business methods requiring 

 considerable organization, knowledge and enterprise, 

 does not strongly appeal to a public of very small 

 capitalists especially when the methods are conducted 

 on a scale and at a cost generally beyond their means. 

 Hence I propose to prepare and display a simple and 

 public object lesson at all events as regards the industrial 

 part of the problem ; I do not propose to enter the trade 

 except in the necessary disposal of produce turned out, 

 and then, if possible, only by selling to local brokers or 

 firms. I rely upon the Agricultural Department to create 

 a rural demand for the stufi, which — as whole fish — I 

 now hear is largely used by Bombay ryots for tobacco ; 

 since above 20,000 acres of tobacco are annually grown 

 in the Coimbatore district, in which (letter above men- 

 tioned) I have already suggested the pushing of fish 

 fertilizer as a manure, that district ought to provide a 

 good local market. 



(2) In working a cannery there will be a lot of 

 stufi' — stale fish unfit for canning, oftal, etc., — which will 

 otherwise have to be thrown away ; this and fish bought 

 locally from the fishermen who now dry the surplus 

 catches for the manure brokers, will provide material for 

 a small fertilizer factory. 



(3) The business connection and boat arrange- 

 ments which provide the cannery will help to provide 

 the fertilizer factory. 



