REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 9 



rapidly than salts containing a bi<jhor per('tMita<;o of such ini})Hri- 

 tios; antl that salt penetrates iish packed in drv salt faster than 

 if packed in brine, and throu*i:h the llesh faster than throu<]^h the 

 skin, thus revealin": the value of cuttinj; or splittin<j^ the tish. As 

 the blood spoils at a lower temperature than the flesh, it is impor- 

 tant to thorouirhly wash out the blood if the saltin<»; is attempted at 

 hiirh temperatures. The investifration was conducted on a laboratory 

 scale, and diil not include studies of the factors determininji; the lenn^th 

 of time salted fish will keep or other important lines of research, such 

 as determinations of the fat content of fish, the practicability of 

 improvino: the ofeneral quality of salt fish, and means for increas- 

 inof the demand for such products by the consumih": public. Such 

 investigations may be expected to reveal means for preventinfj or 

 safeguardimj against spoilage and in other w^ays render the industry 

 material service. 



One of the objects of the original investigation w^as to determine 

 the practicability of salting fish at high temperatures, and therefore 

 in warm climates. To give practical application to the results, the 

 Bureau gave demonstrations of its methods to fishermen at points in 

 Florida, where previous attempts at salting by the usual practices had 

 resulted in failure through the spoilage of the product. For this 

 work it employed a practical Salter, with many years' experience in 

 salting river herring, gave him careful training in its methods and 

 objects, and detailed him to Florida to instruct fishermen desirous 

 of salting river herring in this manner. As a result 80,000 fish were 

 successfully salted, and brokers and dealers handling the product 

 expressed themselves as highly pleased with its quality. As indica- 

 tive of the importance of adhering rigidly to the method prescribed, 

 it should be noted that every attempt of the packers to depart from 

 that method resulted in the loss of the fish. The salting of the fish 

 was so successful that the packers are preparing to engage in this 

 new branch of the industry on a large scale, so as to make possible 

 the shipment of fish in car lots. 



PRESERVATIOX OF FISHERY PRODUCTS BY CANNING. 



Since May, 1919, the Bureau has been conducting at San Pedro, 

 Calif., experiments in the preservation of fishery products by canning. 

 It has devoted its attention particularly to little used fishery products 

 for which satisfactory canning methods have been lacking and to the 

 establishment of standard methods which will yield standard packs. 

 The mackerel {Scomber japonicus), an abundant fish but little 

 esteemed on the California coast, has received more consideration 

 than other species. Over 80 different packs of this fish have been 

 put up and subjected to careful examination, with the result that a 

 number of promising methods have been developed, several of which 

 have been released for the use of the trade. Other species experi- 

 mented with are bonito, barracuda, pilchard, sea bass, smelt, tunas, 

 and yellow-tail, several hundred packs of the various species having 

 been put up and held in storage for examination periodically. A 

 number of special problems have been encountered in the course of 

 this work which may require rather extended study before a solution 

 is found, as, for example, the unpleasant odor and taste in canned 

 bonito and the detinning of cans in packs of such fish as the barra- 



