102 FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
In the case of the sperm whale the oil is extracted by tapping 
the head of the whale and letting the oil run out into a vat. 
The bone of the whale is boiled in the same manner as the meat. 
After the oil is extracted, the bone is taken out into an open yard 
and allowed to remain there for several months, or until the end of 
the season, in October, when it is ground and put through a drier 
and then through a mill, when it is ready for market as bone meal. 
This is considered a good fertilizer without other ingredients and is 
so sold. An analysis has shown that it contains 23.79 per cent of 
phosphorie acid, which places it among the high-grade fertilizers. 
Ratfish.—This fish is quite common along the Pacific coast, but 
as yet no commercial use has been made of it. It is often found by 
men fishing for grayfish. The liver of this fish is said to furnish an 
oil better even that cod-liver oil for tuberculosis and kindred ail- 
ments, and is quite extensively used in the Scandinavian countries 
and in Germany. 
WHOLESALE FRESH-FISH TRADE. 
The most important wholesale firms of the State, aside from can- 
neries, are located at Seattle, though a considerable fresh-fish trade 
is done at Tacoma and Everett, especially the former city. In 
1915 there were 14 firms in the State fiandbinrs fresh fishery products 
only. The value of these establishments was $153,075, the cash 
capital invested was $26,100, the number of persons engaged was 
79, and the wages paid amounted to $50,350. Three of these firms, 
which handled crabs, cooked a few of the crabs before shipment. 
FISHERY PRODUCTS PREPARED, EXCLUSIVE OF CANNING. 
The total amount of fish frozen in the State was 8,812,127 
pounds, valued at $371,854. This includes fish frozen by refrigerator 
plants for wholesale dealers. The most important species frozen, 
based on their value, were halibut, chum, silver, and chinook sal- 
mon, and herring, the latter being utilized mostly for halibut bait. 
Sablefish and smelt were also frozen in considerable quantities. 
The mild-cured trade in Washington was confined to chinook 
and chum salmon, divided as follows: 1,208,800 pounds of chinook 
salmon, valued at $130,052, and 83,000 pounds of chum salmon, 
valued at $2,060. The mild curing was all done at Seattle, Tacoma, 
and Altoona, Wash. 
The wholesale salting trade in 1915 amounted to 1,788,200 
pounds, valued at $106,493, most of it being silver salmon. Con- 
siderable quantities of halibut and sablefish and small quantities 
of several other species were also salted. Seattle and Tacoma were 
the headquarters for the salting trade. 
The smoking of fish was quite an important industry in the State. 
The total quantity smoked in 1915 was 2,058,210 pounds, having a 
value of $193,301. The principal smoking centers are Seattle, 
Tacoma, Everett, and Bellingham. Chinook salmon and sablefish 
were the most valuable smoked fish, though halibut, cod, chum 
salmon, and herring also were smoked in considerable quantities. 
The following is a brief description of a smokehouse and method of 
smoking: A smokehouse is approximately 15 by 30 feet and 3 stories 
