REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 19 
Similar modes of preservation have established their efficiency for 
the preservation of vegetables both in the home and in the industries. 
Dried salt fish are well known in the market, but under the climatic 
conditions prevailing in the United States the sun-drying of fresh 
fish has not proved commercially feasible. 
Drying of fresh fish—W orking in the Woods Hole laboratory during 
the summer of 1917 an investigator conducted experiments in drying 
various species of fresh fish and squid. Domestic fruit driers, steam- 
heated fish driers, driers with air heated by means other than steam, 
driers which force air over the fish at varying temperature, and the 
methods and limitations of sun-drying were tried. 
Several species of fish, including cod, haddock, and whiting, have 
been successfully prepared for commerce by preliminary steaming, 
picking the meat from the bones and skin, passing through a meat 
chopper, and drying in commercial fish driers. Further ‘experi- 
ments may lead to improvements of methods from the viewpoints of 
economy in production and appearance of the product. Experi- 
ments in rehydration of the dried product have also been conducted. 
Methods of desiccation have obvious advantages over other 
methods of preservation in the saving of storage space, in economy 
of transportation, and in the indefinite preservation of the product 
without continuous expense. It is also true in some cases, at least, 
that there is much less waste of soluble nutritive substances, and that 
the natural flavors may be better maintained. 
The results in the case of squid are noteworthy. Squid, in the 
drying process, is reduced to broad, thin sheets of inviting appear- 
ance which may be chopped to form chowder or soup stock. There 
is a characteristic and particularly agreeable flavor which, together 
with the very high protein content, promises much for the eventual 
addition of the squid to the American dietary. Subsequent experi- 
ments have shown that the tenderness of the product is much im- 
proved by steam cooking before the squid is dried. While squid can 
be conveniently canned, the process of canning fails to preserve the 
characteristic flavor so well as the method of desiccation. The pala- 
tability of the squid has been so thoroughly tested by people of 
many Asiatic and European countries that one must consider the 
lack of acquaintance with it as the only bar to its use by Americans. 
Important facts of practical value that have now been definitely 
determined are: (1) The toughness of the meat is overcome by 
methods of steam cooking and drying, after which the squid can be 
kept for an indefinite period without deterioration; (2) the excellent 
flavor and delicate aroma are not lost by the methods of drying or 
by subsequent cooking by proper methods, such as by boiling over a 
hot fire or by stewing for a short time in a small amount of hot water 
and serving in the juice in which it was cooked. 
Bacteriology of preserved fish.—In the field of bacteriology, inves- 
tigations have been directed first at determining if bacteria play an 
important part in the initial stages of decompositon of fish during 
storage in ice. Freshly caught fish of several types were stored in 
ice boxes similar to those in use in the average fish market, and at 
regular intervals some were removed and the muscle tissue was sub- 
jected to bacteriological examinations to determine the number of 
aerobic bacteria present that would develop at 22° and 37° C. in both 
