FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1921. 7 



of the species of commercial importance, etc. What are the losses 

 in weight in freezing, salting, drying, skinning, boning, pickling, 

 smoking, and cannmg ? These are items that enter into costs regard- 

 ing which the trade should have definite information if it is to operate 

 efficiently, and members of the trade have emphasized the fact that 

 to realize the greatest good from such work it should be conducted 

 by a Federal agency such as the Bureau of Fisheries. The following 

 illustrates one of the bureau's efforts to render service in this field: 



IMPROVEMENT IN TRANSPORTING SEA CRAWFISH. 



About 40 per cent of the sea crawfish or spiny lobsters shipped from 

 pomts in Florida to the Washington (D. C.) markets formerly arrived 

 dead, resulting in heavy losses to the express carriers. At a confer- 

 ence with a representative of the carriers it was learned that the 

 crawfish were packed in alternate layers of ice. The bureau sug- 

 gested changes in this method of packing which were carried out and 

 have reduced the losses to about 2 per cent, eliminating all claims 

 against the carrier, except for packages lost in transit. The im- 

 proved method of packing follows: Inside the ordinary large lobster 

 tub is placed a smaller tub, the bottoms of the two being fastened 

 together. The lobsters are packed in the smaller container in even 

 layers to within about 6 inches from the top, and the balance of the 

 space is filled with sponge scraps or seaweed and covered with a 

 slatted top, securely fastened. On top of this tub is placed a chunk 

 of ice of sufficient size to last until shipment reaches aestmation, and 

 the top of the outer container is covered with matting or burlap. If 

 reicing is necessary it is a simple matter to remove cover of outer 

 container and put in more ice. This method of packing keeps the 

 spiny lobsters from actual contact with ice, avoiding the abrupt change 

 in temperature, and the melting ice dripping down through the layer of 

 sponge scraps or seaweed keeps them moist and cool. 



MARKET SURVEYS. 



There is a dearth of information on the subject of fish marketing 

 without which progress in effecting improvements in the methods of 

 handling and distribution of fishery products, in intelligently com- 

 bating the prejudices of the consumer, in increasmg the consumption 

 of fish, ancl m educating the public to the proper place of fish in its 

 dietary, must be slow and extremely costly. For several years the 

 bureau has been desirous of contributing to this phase of the fisheries 

 but has lacked both funds and workers properly equipped for such 

 an undertaking. In June, 1921, a survey of Louisville, Ky., was 

 made, followed by surveys of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Chicago, 111.; and 

 Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., all of which were completed before 

 the end of the calendar year. (See List of Publications, p. 3.) 



These surveys have been confined to the trade in fresh and frozen 

 fishery products and include such subjects as composition of popula- 

 tion, sources of supply, trade names in use, grouping of species into 

 those on which the bulk of the trade is based, those of moderate 

 importance, and those for which the sale is small, character of con- 

 tainers, cold-storage holdings, carload freight and express arrivals, 

 short-fine travel distances and freight and express rates from prin- 

 cipal sources of supply, wholesale and retaU trade, including direc- 

 tory of dealers, and advertising and display. 



