494: REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



stantly cruise for their supplies, making trips from Block Islaud to the 

 coast of Maine, touching at Nomau's Laud, Martha's Vineyard, Nan- 

 tucket, Cape Cod, and other intermediate points, to see the fishermen 

 and purchase their catches. 



Dr. Sims, tbe head of this business, was the medical director of the 

 Third Army Corps at the close of the rebellion, to which he was ap- 

 pointed after serving a year as surgeon on the staff of General Hooker, 

 and is a gentleman of great business capacity and superior intelli 

 gence. — [Island Keview. 



"Pacific Guano Company, 

 " Woods Eoll, Mass., October 8, 1877. 



" Dear Sir : Yours 2d at hand. An improved process for the treat- 

 ment of fish is now being tested by myself and others. Experiments 

 reveal to us that the fish can be preserved, and that we are able to get 

 a scrap from them of higher grade in ammonia and a dry powder. The 

 fish are treated with bisulphide of carbon and of hydrocarbons as benzine. 

 The process removes all the oil and leaves the product in a dry powder. 

 The by-product of oil is about eighty per cent, more than by kettle and 

 press, and goes far towards i^aying expenses. 



"The dry scrap as now obtained from menhaden yields on an average, 

 10.50 per cent, ammonia (NHj) ; by the new process 14 per cent, ammonia 

 (NH3). 



"We are erectiug a building 85 by 40 feet, 34 feet high, to fully test 

 the process, and expect to be in working order in December. I inclose 

 an article taken from the Nantucket paper. You can no doubt give us 

 valuable information in regard to the habits of the shark, their breeding- 

 ground, «S:c. The fishermen represent a supply off Nantucket that can 

 be taken with hook and line. 



"In our business here we consumed for the year 1875-76 703 tons dry 

 scrap (menhaden), value 8-0,104 ; 2,338 tons crude scrap, value $31,682; 

 producing 13,010 tons soluble Pacific guano; 1876-'77, 2,176 tons dry 

 scrap, value $57,784; 5,188 tons crude scrap, value $62,248; producing 

 11,398 tons soluble Pacific guano. Our works at Charleston usually 

 consume one-third less than here. 



" The menhaden scrap is now dried more extensively than ever. The 

 solar heat and hard platforms found to be the cheapest and most satis- 

 factory process. We purchase what dry scrap we can in place of crude 

 scrap. I send you the only document published bearing on the history 

 of this company. 



"Yours, truly, 



"A. F. CROWELL. 



" Prof. G. Brown Goode." 



