THE PRESERVATION OF FISH 183 



salting is far more important in most other parts 

 of the world. The smoking of fish is relatively un- 

 important in America, whereas in Scotland and Ger- 

 many immense quantities are smoked. The freezing 

 and cold storage of fish is practised more extensively 

 in the United States than in any other country in the 

 world. Nearly a hundred million pounds of fish are 

 frozen in this country each year. 



Freezing and Cold Storage of Fish 



While it has been known for many centuries that 

 freezing and cold storage will preserve fish, it has 

 been only since the invention of mechanical processes 

 of refrigeration that the cold storage of fish has 

 become of commercial importance. Prior to that time, 

 fisherfolk living in cold climates froze any surplus 

 catch and kept the frozen fish in unheated rooms 

 until needed. Now cold storage and refrigeration of 

 fish is employed in all civilized countries, as refrig- 

 eration serves to take fresh fish from the class of 

 extreme perishables, and enables the fish dealer to 

 supply all sorts of fishes throughout the year. It 

 reduces the cost of fresh fish to the consumer and 

 increases the value of the fisherman's catch, as it 

 greatly reduces the waste because of spoilage. 



Fish are frozen principally in the summer and 

 autumn and are held in cold storage until winter and 

 spring, but there is some freezing every month in 

 the year. Salmon, cisco, herring, mackerel, whiting, 

 halibut, scup, lake-trout, whitefish, cod, haddock, 

 and pollack are the chief species frozen. 



Unfortunately, in the early days of the industry, 



