412 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [2] 



lu Other words, a dried klip-fisli weighs only about 20 or 27 per cent, 

 of its weight when it came out of the sea ; or 100 pounds of fish as 

 caught make about 27 pounds of dried klip-fish. If we count 22 pounds 

 of Liverpool salt (at f cent a pound) for salting 100 pounds of solid fish, 

 and the cost of labor in cleaning, salting, and drying at 9 cents per 100 

 pounds, we shall not be far out of the way when we say that tlie cost 

 of preparing fish is 1 ore [100 ore =20.8 cents] per pound of its weight 

 as solid fish, which, however, is easily made up by making proper use of 

 livers, sounds, &c. 



As the average wholesale price for klip-fish is 20 ore a pound for large 

 codfish, and 15 ore for small codfish and haddock, the net profit would 

 be 19f and 14f ore, respectively, per i)ouiul, while if the same fish had 

 been sold fresh it would have fetched, respectively, 5.33 and 3.98 ore per 

 I^ound. From the above it will appear that it is not profitable to pre- 

 pare fish as klip fish unless the fresh fish cannot be sold at all or must 

 sell at prices lower than 5.33 and 3.98 ore per pound. It should be 

 stated that in selling fresh fish on the shore the entrails are counted in 

 when the fish are weighed ; if this is not the case, 14.20 per cent, should 

 be added to the above-named prices, so that, nil the other conditions 

 being the same, they would be 0.08 and 4.52 ore per pound. 



As many small fish, especially haddock, are caught on the west coast 

 of Jutland, where the fisheries are fre(iuently carried on near the coast, 

 it should be stated that the minimum dimensions of klii>-lish in trade 

 are the following: For large fish, 10 inches from the lower edge of the 

 neck-;:/one to the root of the caudal fin (a h in Fig. 1) when prepared, 

 which would correspond to 20 inches of a solid fish, full length (as A B 

 in Fig. 2) ; and for small fish, 10 inches when jjrepared, and 19 inches 

 when solid, full length. 



Method of preparing Fisn.— The princii)al condition for obtaining 

 a durable and good article, either of kli])-fish or salt fish, is a careful and 

 cleanly preparation of the fish in all the stages of the process from the 

 time they are taken out of the water. The fish should be killed imme- 

 diately, or at any rate soon enough to let the blood How out freely and 

 to prevent it from coagulating inside the fish. The fish is killed by 

 cutting its throat close above the neck-bone. The cut should be so 

 deep that the cervical vertebrai are cut through, as otherwise the 

 bleeding will not be complete. If the neck-bone was not retained in 

 the klip-fish, it would not have the necessary degree of stillness when 

 dried. Care should be taken not to throw the fish or to tread on them. 

 If it hangs loosely upon the hook, and therefore has to be caught near the 

 surface of the water with a hooked spear, the hook should, if possible, 

 be inserted in the head ; for where this is inserted the fish will have a 

 bloody spot, which when found on the body will class it among the 

 damaged fish. If the fish cannot be cleaned immediately, it is advisable 

 occasionally to pour some water over it, in order to prevent the slime 



