Radcliffe. — Division of Fishery Industries 109 



imported the first plant for freezing fish in brine, made pre- 

 liminary tests of brine freezing as compared with air freezing, 

 and is initiating studies of certain of the basic principles of 

 refrigeration for which there is need in the industry. Very 

 properly in this field of technological investigation, it is doing 

 work for the fisheries of like character to that done by the 

 U. S. Bureaus of Plant Industry and Animal Industry in the 

 field of agriculture. As specific examples, reference may be 

 made to the work of the former in the technical investigation of 

 the storage of vegetables, and of the latter in the determina- 

 tion of causes producing soft pork and the development of 

 preventive or remedial measures. 



INCREASING THE USE OF FISH FOR FOOD 



In this exceedingly important field, the Bureau has con- 

 ducted eminently successful practical demonstrations and lec- 

 tures in fish cookery. Within a year its agents reached di- 

 rectly about 15,000 persons, mostly housewives, and many 

 more indirectly. These demonstrations have been of great 

 value in extending the use of the cheaper, more abundant 

 species, and have served to introduce appetizing, inexpensive 

 methods of cooking fish, to conserve labor, eliminate the use 

 of expensive cooking fats and oils, and to encourage the use 

 for food of parts of fish usually discarded. While fish com- 

 pares favorably in protein content and digestibility with 

 meats, our per capita consumption of fish to meat is approxi- 

 mately in the ratio of one to nine. In addition, experiments 

 have been made to develop suitable recipes for preparing little 

 used fishes for the table ; and cook books, placards and post- 

 ers recommending the use of fish have been freely distributed 

 for the use of the trade. 



At the present time when' there is an over-production or an 

 under-consumption of fish, or both, it will be evident that work 

 of this character is of the highest importance. The Bureau re- 

 grets the limitations upon its operations in this field. As an 

 example of the importance of such work, it is interesting to 



