24 



sary to extend preservation over considerable periods of 

 time. 



I am well aware that many object to this method of pre- 

 servation, believing that freezing impairs the flavour, but if 

 any one entertaining this belief will take two fish as soon 

 as caught and killed, pack one in ice and freeze the other, 

 and keep them in these respective conditions a given length 

 of time, it will be found that the frozen fi^h, when cooked, 

 is in every essential particular equal to the one packed in 

 ice ; and if preservation extends beyond a very brief period 

 the frozen fish will be the best. 



Preservation by retardation, if properly carried out, may 

 be made to extend over a sufficient period to meet the 

 present requirements of the English fishermen, and if the 

 business should come to that stage of development where 

 freezing in a measure supercedes curing for the surplus 

 stock, then the preliminary operations requisite for the re- 

 tarding process would be quite suitable and necessary as 

 preliminary to freezing, which, for economical reasons and 

 others, will be mainly done on shore. 



The fears expressed by Mr. Alward and Sir Ambrose 

 Shea that the method outlined in the Paper read would 

 be impracticable for the North Sea fisheries are, it is 

 believed, altogether groundless. It is true that the 

 attempts alluded to that have been made to solve this 

 great problem were complete failures, but the reasons 

 therefor were manifest, and I predicted the result before 

 the trials were made. The theory of all putrefactive 

 action, as set forth in the Paper read, is well established, 

 and when clearly comprehended it will illuminate the course 

 necessary to take. The system of preservation outlined 

 does not require new invention for its complete develop- 

 ment but rather a judicious application of discoveries 

 already made ; neither is it confined to any particular 



