BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 391 



i9« THE WEIGHT OF FI!!)H IIV DIFFERENT €OIVI>ITI©IV<!*.* 



From Aalesund we have received the following statement concerning 

 the relation between fresh, salted, and dried fish. A hundred fish 

 weighed as follows : 



Kilograms. 



Round 385 



Rough-dressed 275 



Split 220 



Brine-salted . .. 180 



As klip-fish , 110 



According to this statement 100 kilograms of split fish should yield 50 

 pounds of klip-fish, and 100 kilograms of salted should produce 01.1 kilo- 

 grams of klip-fish, or, in other words, for each 100 kilograms of weight 

 in the split condition, the fish loses in salting 18.2 kilograms, and in 

 drying 31.8 kilograms. As will be seen from the annual report of the 

 association, page G, the Icelanders estimate 50 kilograms of klip-fish from 

 100 kilograms of round fish, and 6G.7 kilograms of klip-fish from 100 kilo- 

 grams of salted fish, which involved a loss of 25 kilograms during the 

 salting and 25 kdograms during drying p^-ocess. According to the 

 experiment made in the United States, which is mentioned on pages 131 

 and 132, the loss there in salting was 27.3, while in drying, on the con- 

 trary, it was only 8.7. In our country we calculate on the average in 

 dry salting a loss of 32 in the process of salting, and 34.7 in drying. 

 The Aalesund fish lost as little in salting as 18.2 kilograms for the rea- 

 son that they were brine-salted ; t but their great excess of moisture 

 would be removed later in drying and pressing, during which they lose 

 31.8 kilograms. 



A chemical analysis of these fish, and information concerning their 

 durability would have been interesting, because the Scotch, who also 

 I)ractice brine-salting, estimate only 39.3 kilograms of- klip-fish to 100 

 kilograms of crude fish. 



The readers of the Tidskrift, who may be in possession of trust- 

 worthy statements concerning the relative weights of fresh, salted, 

 and dried fish, are earnestly requested kindly to furnish these to the 

 editor. Information as to the kind of salt, the quantity used, the time 

 during which fish have remained in salt, the appearance of the fish, the 

 time it has lain in pickle, the amount of moisture and salt it contains 

 (according to chemical analysis), the place where it was caught, and the 

 statement as to whether it was worked over or not, and how long, will 

 add to the value of the statement. 



* From Norsk Fiskeritidende, Vol, III, No. 2, April, 1»84, pp. 191, 192. Translated 

 bvTARLETON H. Bean, M. D. 

 tSee page — on the purchase of fish in salt. 



