REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. ee 33 
TIME REQUIRED TO SOFTEN THE BONES OF VARIOUS SPECIES OF FisH, 10 Pounps 
Pressure, 240° F. 
. Soften- : « Soften- 
Species. Weight. ing. Soft. Species. Weight. ing. Soft. 
Black bass: Lbs. | Mins. | Mins. Lemon sole: Lbs. | Mins. | Mins. 
IPOs cs aspes'e< s-ceet 7 Oh—"6 100 120 L 80 90 
STIS Mt aicmincdw ests te +1 100 110 3 60 70 
Bluefish: | Mackerel, medium 60 70 
Tt: S55 de See 6-9 90 100 || Mackerel, Spanish, me- 
Small...... Bech anak om 1-2 80 90 CIN eae tase eres 14- 24 100 110 
Butterfish, medium. -...| + 4 60 80 || Perch, white, medium...) 4- # 100 110 
Cahn. sociscintle aevlesen cha 8 -12 110 120 || Perch, yellow, medium..| 4} # 90 100 
Catfish: Pollock, medium........ 5 - 74 60 70 
PUREED cio stesscnesse 1}- 2 70 80 || Salmon, medium........ 13 -19 90 100 
BAM Side sarg ain'ofe > 2 60 70 || Sea bass, medium........| 1-14 60 70 
Cero, medium....... .... 10 -13 80 OO |EShad. eee. fe ‘ 54 90 100 
Cod: Smelt: 
LEG TEST eg eA 6 -16 80 90 HATES. hk enesecs = “aah as 60 70 
Smallis2ov. 6s, ease oe 1-2 60 Smale. os csew gach. dss b) 50 60 
Croaker Snapper, red: 
BLEOE Pere Sik. bites 2-1 90 100 BNZOA2.2.dode babeecd 10 -15 110 120 
Sue" | See ae , a 50 60 Smale cose ocanece 6 100 
WEEE esac nc coco toe 2 - 34 100 110 || Squeteague: 
Flounder: BTNOs. Sacetempnh odoin 80 90 
AGED ein win aoe is cis ntepe sc 1-1 70 80 NMeGINM ©) co. ese ve 60 70 
Suialll. Js ISse LL 4- 50 COP ie omalle. 2-0 a7. Sock o 50 60 
Haddock Striped bass 
Medium 22.3. .te2028 3-5 60 70 BTEC sneha todew ccube 110 120 
och Ee 1-2 50 60 Sia eee na a5 70 80 
Halibut, medium........ 50 -90 70 80 || Sucker, medium... 80 
Hickory shad, medium..| 1}- 2 60 70 || Tilefish, medium......... 90 100 
18 Poy C1 ee 4 50 60 || Whiting, medium....... 50 60 
Kingfish, medium....... 4-1 60 70 ||. 
a From 5 to7 to the pound. b From 15 to 20 to the pound. 
Some experiments have recently been made to apply a known 
principle to the domestic canning of fish so as to obviate the neces- 
sity for employing a pressure cooker. The reference is to boiling the 
cans or jars in a saturated salt solution; that is, at 228° F. for a time. 
For this process, only apparatus usually found in the home, such as a 
wash boiler, is employed. By this method, the bones are softened 
satisfactorily and the fish thoroughly cooked, and difficulties in clos- 
ing fruit jars to withstand the pressure created are overcome. Nearly 
100 containers of glass and tin have been processed and some success 
has been attained. It is planned to make additional tests before 
recommending the use of the method to the public. 
DEVELOPMENT OF AQUATIC SOURCES OF LEATHER. 
The Bureau has continued to cooperate effectively with tanners, 
fishermen, and others interested in the development of new sources 
of leather from the skins of aquatic animals. Among the advances to 
be recorded in this work during the past year the following may be 
mentioned: (1) The development of types of nets suitable for catch- 
ing sharks and devices claimed to be satisfactory for quickly removing 
the hides from the fish; (2) progress in the development of methods 
suitable for tanning the hides of the smaller fishes on a commercial 
scale; (3) perfection of arrangements by tanners to engage in the 
industry; (4) establishment of connections with the fishing ce..ters 
for supplies of raw materials; (5) preparations for the establishment 
at various points on our coasts of small plants for fishing for sharks, 
the flesh to be used for food, the liver oil to be extracted and 
marketed, the hides to be tanned into leather, and the refuse to be 
