FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. ti 
salt, relation of freshness of fish to temperature at which it can be 
salted, determination of highest temperature at which it is practicable 
to salt fish, possible ways of improving methods in common practice, 
and trials of relative values of the different kinds of salt on the 
market. 
EXPERIMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF FISHERY PRODUCTS FOR THE 
TABLE. ’ 
Supplementing the work of the field agents engaged in giving 
lectures and practical demonstrations of the best methods for cooking 
fish, the Bureau equipped an experimental kitchen and employed 
experts to determine the best methods of preparation of new or 
little-known fish and fishery products for the table. 
Here a considerable number of fishery products were tried out by 
various individual methods of preparation, and those best suited to 
| the particular product selected. In some cases this information was 
furnished direct to the trade, in others it was assembled and published 
in economic circulars to aid in educating the public as to the merits 
of, and establishing larger markets for, such heretofore little-used 
products. In this manner assistance has been given in increasing the 
production and consumption of grouper, menhaden, mussels, sharks, 
tullibees, and the roe and buckroe of fishes. 
In addition, the assemblage of materials for a cookbook on fish was 
begun. This is now nearing completion, many of the recipes being 
tested in the experimental kitchen. 
NEW ENGLAND VESSEL FISHERIES. 
The vessel fisheries centering at Boston and Gloucester, Mass., and 
Portland, Me., have been in a more than usually prosperous condition 
during the past year, notwithstanding the presence of enemy sub- 
marines along the coast and on the fishing grounds in the summer 
and the consequent loss of a number of fishing vessels. There was a 
decline in the total number of trips, but a considerable increase in the 
quantity and value of the products landed. The decline in the 
number of trips occurred at Boston and Portland, while there was an 
increase over the previous year at Gloucester. Statistics of these 
fisheries have been collected during the year by the local agents and 
published in monthly bulletins, showing, by species and fishing 
grounds, the quantities and values of fishery products landed by 
American and Canadian fishing vessels during the year at these ports. 
Two annual bulletins also have been issued, one showing the catch by 
months and the other by fishing grounds. 
The fishing fleet which landed fishery products at these ports 
during the calendar year 1918 included 521 sail, steam, and gasoline 
screw vessels. These vessels landed at Boston 2,830 trips, aggre- 
gating 109,476,041 pounds of fish, valued at $6,587,754; at Gloucester, 
3,414 trips, aggregating 74,175,499 pounds, valued at $3,062,605; and 
at Portland, 2,506 trips, aggregating 21,849,613 pounds, valued at 
$881,189. The total for the ate orts amounted to 8,750 trips, 
aggregating 205,501,153 pounds of fresh and salted fish, having a 
value to the fishermen of $10,531,548. This total includes 60 trips 
landed at these ports by 21 Canadian fishing vessels, amounting to 
