REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 37 
TIME REQUIRED TO SOFTEN THE BONES OF VARIOUS SPECIES oF FisH, 10 Pounps 
PREssurRE, 240° F. 













; : Soften- F A Soften- 
Species. Weight. ing. Soft. Species. Weight. ing. Soft. 
Black bass: Lbs. Mins. | Mins. Lemon sole: Lbs. | Mins. | Mins. 
MargvOresccceecceesnas 5 - 6 100 120 WATEO sce cet onccece ce 24- 34 80 90 
Smalley sens fecaq clot +1 100 110 Smallietgess.seccese 60 70 
Bluefish: Mackerel, medium....... 1k 60 7 
Barges... os22 BACHE, 6-9 90 100 || Mackerel, Spanish, me- 
sh20tl SS Sea ereeee 1-2 80 90 Gbibiih 556 Soocane 5 aseds- 1h- 23 100 110 
Butterfish, medium. ....) +- 4 60 80 || Perch, white, medium...} j4- # 100 110 
Garp ee Sesaest sade ecese 8 -12 110 120 || Perch, yellow, medium..| }- 90 100 
Pollock, medium........ 5 - 74 60 70 
70 80 || Salmon, medium........| 13 -19 90 100 
60 70 || Sea bass, medium........ 1-14 60 70 
80 90) Shad JJ22 2a. eee tetdcece 54 90 100 
Smelt: 
80 90 EAT PO. enccescnccececs (2) 60 70 
50 60 Smialle re2eect oe. - ei (>) 50 60 
Snapper, red: 
90 100 ALGO ie ta cmebwte de ene 10 -15 110 120 
50 60 Sal ee sesso scons 5- 6 90 100 
100 110 || Squeteague: 
AERC arses eects se 23-4 80 90 
70 80 Medium cseme sean ccee 60 70 
50 60 Smalls. £295_S5 5282826 3-2 50 60 
Striped bass: 
60 70 ALE Oemcae sae eae = 10-15 110 120 
50 60 Small waeksctwces loa 2-14 70 80 
Halibut, medium........ 50 -90 70 80 || Sucker, medium.......... 4 13 80 90 
Hickory shad, medium..| 1}- 2 60 70 || Tilefish, medium.........| 6 -12 90 100 
Hoghshyn 4 Maen aso. 558 5 50 60 || Whiting, medium....... +1 50 60 
Kingfish, medium....... 3-1 60 70 
a From 5 to7 to the pound. +b From 15 to 20 to the pound. 
Some experiments have recently been made to apply a known 
principle to the domestic canning of fish so as to obviate the neces- 
sity for employing a pressure cooker. The reference is to boiling the 
cans or jars in a saturated salt solution; that is, at 228° F. for a time. 
For this process, only apparatus usually found in the home, such as a 
wash boiler, is employed. By this method, the bones are softened 
satisfactorily and the fish thoroughly cooked, and difficulties in clos- 
ing fruit jars to withstand the pressure created are overcome. Nearly 
100 containers of glass and tin have been processed and some success 
has been attained. It is planned to make additional tests before 
recommending the use of the method to the public. 
DEVELOPMENT OF AQUATIC SOURCES OF LEATHER. 
The Bureau has continued to cooperate effectively with tanners, 
fishermen, and others interested in the development of new sources 
of leather from the skins of aquatic animals. Among the advances to 
be recorded in this work during the past year the following may be 
mentioned: (1) The development of types of nets suitable for catch- 
ing sharks and devices claimed to be satisfactory for quickly removing 
the hides from the fish; (2) progress in the development of methods 
suitable for tanning the hides of the smaller fishes on a commercial 
scale; (3) perfection of arrangements by tanners to engage in the 
industry; (4) establishment of connections with the fishing ce..ters 
for supplies of raw materials; (5) preparations for the establishment 
at various points on our coasts of small plants for fishing for sharks, 
the flesh to be used for food, the liver oil to be extracted and 
marketed, the hides to be tanned into leather, and the refuse to be 
