144 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



for this purpose. Endeavor is made to select broad fundamental 

 studies, which are urgent, promise to be of the greatest value to the 

 largest number, and which the industry itself is least capable of under- 

 taking. In this work direct results are not the only ones obtained. 

 A successful investigation gives general confidence in what science 

 can do for the fishery industries, and leads to independent initiative 

 in fisheries technology. 



CANNING SARDINES 



In the bureau's experimental laboratory at San Pedro, Calif., 

 attention to the technology of sardine canning has been continued. 

 This research has been yielding excellent results of evident value to 

 the industry. 



An opinion has been prevalent that the method of preparing the 

 fish for canning greatly influences the ability of the canned product to 

 withstand the vicissitudes of storage and shipment. It was shown 

 by the laboratory that the physical condition of the fish themselves 

 at the time of being packed, and not the method of producing that 

 condition, is the determining factor. Since the preparation of fish 

 for canning as sardines is essentially a process of removing excess 

 water from them, any procedure that effectively accomplishes this 

 removal without adding any foreign product to the fish, and at the 

 same time leaves them in good physical condition, gives a good 

 final product. 



Partial drying by moving air has so far been an essential step in all 

 successful commerical methods of preparing fish for canning as 

 sardines. Fundamental knowledge of this procedure was needed to 

 enable further effective work upon the development of a new method. 

 This information was therefore obtained, and now, for the first time, 

 data are at hand, which will enable drying equipment in the sardine 

 canning industry to be designed upon a scientific basis. Advantage 

 has already been taken of this fact, with very good results, in the 

 building of new equipment and the improvement of old within the 

 industry. It has been possible to show how fish may be dried for 

 frying in from one-third to one-fifth of the time formerly required. 

 The size of the equipment may be decreased correspondingly. 



The real outcome of the drying research and the studies that 

 preceded it has been the development of a new process of preparing 

 fish for canning. This process depends on rapidly moving hot air to 

 cook and dry the fish simultaneously, followed by a period of cooling 

 in a blast of cold air, so that they may be packed immediately. The 

 time rec{uired for carrying out this process has finally been shortened 

 to about 40 minutes for the largest California pilchards, and operation 

 can be continuous. In the frying-in-oil method now in use the fish 

 are dried at least 30 minutes, fried 7 to 10 minutes, and allowed to 

 drain and cool over night before being packed. Fish prepared in the 

 new way are not open to the objections to which fried fish are subject. 



PRESERVATION OF NETS 



The publication during the year 192.'^ of the results of experiments 

 in the preservation of lish nets has enabled commercial fishermen and 

 the trade to take advantage of the information resulting from the 

 extensive experiments carried on in this field. Manufacturei's were 



