FRESH AND FROZEN FISHERY PRODUCTS, SEATTLE, WASH, 11 



MAIL-ORDER BUSINESS. 



Four concerns in the city may be classed as doing a strictly mail- 

 order business. A good many other fish houses also sell to a greater 

 or lesser degree by this method, especially during the holiday and 

 lenten seasons, and it is even an important factor with some of the 

 larger wholesalers. The general method of advertising employed by 

 the regular mail-order houses is to circularize certain sections of the 

 country for orders. In these establishments quite a proportion of 

 the business is made up of express shipments of single salmon, the 

 package being iced at the time of shipment by the consignor and re- 

 iced in transit by the carrier. The retail price, which includes trans- 

 portation charges, averages about $2 delivered to points west of the 

 Mississippi and about $2.25 delivered east thereof. During 1921 

 approximately 18,000 shipments of single salmon, weighing from 8 

 to 10 pounds each, were made, some of which were successfully made 

 to Florida. It is alleged by some dealers that much damage has 

 been done to this business by unscrupulous dealers shipping inferior 

 fish. 



IMPORTANCE OF SEATTLE FISH IN OUTSIDE MARKETS. 



To show the relative importance of Seattle fish in certam outside 

 markets as compared with the other varieties sold in such markets, the 

 following table has been compiled from extracts taken from the 

 senior author's previously issued reports on Louisville, Ky. ; Pitts- 

 burgh, Pa.; Cliicago, 111.; and Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. 



Importance of Seattle fish in outside markets. 



Species and markets. 



Relative importance compared with other varieties sold and 

 opinions of dealers. 



Eulachon: 



Pittsburgh, Pa 



Chicago, in 



Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn, 

 Flounders: Minneapolis and St. Paul 



Minn. 

 Halibut: 



Louisville, Ky 



Pittsburgh, Pa 



Chicago, 111 



Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. 

 "Lingcod": 



Chicago, lU 



MinneapoHs and St. Paul, Minn. 

 Rockfishes: Minneapohs and St. 



Paul, Minn. 

 Sablefish: 



Pittsburgh, Pa 



Chicago, ni 



Minneapohs, Minn 



Salmon: 



Louisville, Ky 



Pittsburgh, Pa 



Chicago, 111 



Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. 

 Smelt: 



Chicago, lU 



Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. 

 Crabs: Minneapolis and St. Paul, 

 Minn. 



Sale limited on account of general unpopularity. 

 Do. 

 Do. 

 Jnpopular except among certain classes; proportionate sale in 

 nearby small towns larger than in Twin Cities. 



Of only moderate importance. 

 In better demand than any other fish sold here. 

 Of considerable importance; regarded as a staple. 

 Do. 



Sale limited on account of not bemg well known. 



Sale limited; efforts to increase demand reported unsuccessful. 



Sale limited on account of not being well known. 



Handled principally m winter in frozen form; sale limited. 



Only limited sale when received fresh on account of poor keeping 

 quaUty; sale in frozen form, although at present limited, shows 

 tendency toward increase. 



Only limited sale when received fresh on account of poor keeping 

 qtiality; sale in frozen form at present moderate but demand re- 

 ported faUuig off. 



Received from Chicago; sale hmited on account of high price; the 

 name "sahnon" is also apphed here to the pike perches received 

 from Lake Erie for which there is a good demand. 



Of moderate importance. 



Of considerable importance; sale of lower-grade salmon for chinook 

 charged against many retailers by wholesalers. 



Of considerable importance. 



Sale limited; accepted when eastern smelts are not available. 

 In fair demand until Christmas; eastern smelt preferred. 

 Sale limited on account of high price. 



