226 



REPORT OF COMMISSIOT^ER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



end, through which the livers are dropped into the cask. As the oil 

 cells in the livers are broken by decomposition and by their constant 

 churning with the rolling of the vessel, the oil rises to the surface, and 

 is bailed off from time to time to make room for fresh livers. The oil 

 dipped or bailed off, known as "sun-tried oil" or "top dippings," is 

 placed in barrels, while the refuse blubber remains until the vessel 

 reaches port, when it is boiled to extract the remaining oil. 



The "sun-tried oil" represents probably 20 to 40 per cent of the 

 total quantity of oil produced. It is superior to that rendered by 

 cooking, being heavier bodied, and does not chill so quicklj^ the quan- 

 tity of foots being much less. The oil first obtained from the butts is 

 of a light yellow color, and formerly was used to some extent for medic- 

 inal purposes. As putrefaction advances, the color deepens to a 

 brownish shade, and that extracted by cooking the decomposed livers 

 ashore is very dark, with a greenish fluorescence in reflected light. 

 In small quantities it shows a brown color, and therefore is known as 

 brown oil. None of this oil is used for medicinal purposes, owing to 

 its strong odor and flavor and the abundance of decomposed tissue 

 contained in it. The market fishermen, who return to port every two 

 or three weeks, save the livers and sell them to the oil-merchants at 

 25 or 30 cents per bucket of 2^ gallons each. 



Of the several grades of cod oil used for technical purposes, the best 

 is that made from livers taken in the Grand Banks fisheries; this is 

 known as " Newfoundland cod oil " and sells for about 2 cents per 

 gallon more than " domestic cod oil " made from livers taken on West- 

 ern and Georges Banks. " Straits oil " and " bank oil " were formerly 

 well-known grades of cod oil, but these are now made entirely from 

 menhaden. The low grades of cod oil are strained or filtered in the 

 same way as the medicinal oil, 100 gallons yielding 15 or 20 pounds of 

 foots, worth about 4 cents per i)ound. 



Cod oil is used for currying mostly in New York, Penns3dvania, 

 Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin, only about 20 per cent being 

 used in New England. Some of the best quality is exported. Small 

 quantities are also used for soap-making and in various compounds. 



The following table (based upon the closing quotations each week 

 for prime domestic oil, as contained in the New York trade journals) 

 shows the lowest and highest selling prices for cod oil for technical 

 purposes in the New York market during each year from 1891 to 1902: 



