REDDENING OF SALTED CODFISH. 971 



much more favorable for the rapid growth of the Clathrocystis. The 

 temperature is higher, more salt is added, aud the fish are exposed 

 either iu buildings or on flakes which are themselves more or less covered 

 by the red plant. 



I have endeavored to ascertain whether a similar trouble arising from 

 the growth of Clathrocystis has been observed in the fisheries of other 

 countries, but I have not been able to obtain any information on the 

 subject from the botanists who are best informed in these matters. 

 Such questions, however, are not often discussed in scientific journals, 

 and the trouble may perhaps be known to fishermen, although it has 

 not yet, as far as I know, been called to the attention of scientific men. 

 In Norway, where the cod-fisheries are of great extent, we might expect 

 the redness to occur, but we must remember that in the region of Ber- 

 gen and northwards the temperature is rarely high enough to favor the 

 rapid growth of Clathrocystis. 



Having ascertained the cause of the redness, let us consider the 

 means of preventing or diminishing the evil. Nature herself, in be- 

 stowing uijon the New England coast a cold climate, has i)ractically set 

 a limit to the trouble, and has enabled the inhabitants of our coast to 

 carry on the business of curing fish with a degree of success which 

 would be quite impossible in a more southern latitude, no matter how 

 abundant the fish might be. In attempting to diminish the trouble in 

 New England, we must bear in mind that the disease, if we may call it 

 so, is transmitted to the fish from the wood-work and drying-apparatus, 

 and, in some cases at least, from the salt used. The question, in short, 

 is how to get rid of the pest already established in our fish -houses. 



To speak, in the first place, of the treatment to be pursued in purify- 

 ing the drying-establishments on shore : The conditions of life of the 

 Clathrocystis are such that it could be killed by a temperature equal to 

 that of boiling water, by applications of strong solutions of carbolic 

 acid, of the mineral acids, &c. As a matter of fact, however, it is very 

 doubtful whether the api)lication of boiling water or of steam, if pos- 

 sible, would be serviceable. It is difldcult so to saturate the difierent 

 parts of a drying-house with boUing water as to be sure that the differ- 

 ent parts have really been raised to the boiling point. Generally a 

 great part of the wood-work fails to reach anything like a temperature 

 of 212° F. The application of carbohc acid, or the mineral acids, 

 is exi)ensive aud troublesome, aud, unless judiciously managed, the 

 remedy might prove worse than the disease. What is wanted is some 

 means so simple that it can be applied without trouble and without 

 much expense. It is useless to try to eradicate the trouble completely ; 

 one can only expect to diminish it perceptibly; and for the purpose I 

 can think of no practical way better than scraping, painting, and fre- 

 quent washing with hot water. In midsummer the houses used for 

 curing fish are not always kept as clean as they should be. Unpainted 

 wood is generally used, and every one knows how difiicult it is, by 



