70 PACIFIC COD FISHERIES, 
these barrels or else repacked in half barrels, pails, and kits. Some 
are mixed with sounds and sold as tongues and sounds. As no sounds 
are saved on this coast, eastern sounds are employed in packing the 
latter. 
Codfish tongues, especially when fresh, are considered a great deli- 
cacy. They are thoroughly washed in order to clean them, then dried 
with a clean cloth, rolled in bread or cracker crumbs, and fried the 
same as oysters. The salt tongues can be prepared in the same 
manner after having been thoroughly soaked in fresh water. 
The packers never overstock with codfish tongues if it can be 
avoided, as in a year or two part of the tongue hardens, thus making 
it practically worthless as food. 
Canning.—On the Atlantic coast a considerable quantity of cod 
is canned annually under the name of “codfish flakes.” An even 
greater quantity of hake, haddock, and cod are canned together under 
the name of “fish flakes.” The opportunity for canning cod is 
especially good on the Pacific coast. Several of the salmon canneries 
are located in close proximity to the cod banks, and as these plants 
already have the machinery and employees needed for carrying on 
this work in addition to the canning of salmon, cod could be canned 
much more cheaply than if a plant had to be erected especially for 
the work. As no other members of the Gadide other than the true 
cod are available on the Pacific coast for this work, the product could 
be sold under a cod label, which would considerably enhance its 
value. 
Cod-liver oil—At an early date in the fishery oil was being ex- 
tracted from the livers of cod. In 1866, 10,000 gallons were reported 
as being rendered, which statement seems somewhat of an exaggera- 
tion when the then extent of the fishery is taken into account. In 
1879 Lynde & Hough are reported as bringing to San Francisco 3,000 
gallons of oil. In later years a small quantity was prepared each sea- 
son, the quantity depending upon the demand and price. 
All the oil prepared was by means of rotting the livers in large vats 
or hogsheads, and the resulting product, after being strained. was 
shipped in this condition. 
In 1899 the Alaska Codfish Co. installed a refining plant at its 
Kelleys Rock station, in Alaska, and operated it successfully until 
100 barrels (iron-lined receptacles holding 20 gallons) had accumu- 
lated, when they were brought to San Francisco and the oil offered 
for sale to makers of emulsion of cod-liver oil. At that time the 
market was overloaded with this grade of oil and the best price 
offered was about what the container cost, so the oil was stored and 
the plant shut down. A few years later the market picked up and the 
oil was disposed of at $22 per barrel. In the meantime the com- 
