Raddiffe. — Fishery Products Laboratories 13 



suspended, but dissolved organic matter which is subject to decay. 

 The fact that the precipitate does remove most of the organic 

 matter has been demonstrated and an experimental plant has 

 been installed at a commercial fish packing establishment. If, 

 as the experiments indicate, this recovered brine can be rendered 

 suitable for use again, the old brine used in preserving the fish 

 brought to this plant will, when recovered, supply all the brine 

 needed and will practically eliminate the firm's bill for salt, 

 provided the amount of the brine used is sufficiently large to 

 warrant the use of the recovery plant. In addition the process 

 provides for the filtering off and drying of the precipitate, which 

 is rich in protein and may be used for fertilizer or possibly for fish 

 meal as an animal feed. Until the practicability of the process 

 has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of all concerned, details 

 of method will be withheld. 



Canning fish. — Although noteworthy progress has been made in 

 California in developing the tuna and sardine industries, there are 

 still large, undeveloped fishery resources in the barracuda, mack- 

 erel, rock-fishes, smelts, etc. The Bureau of Fisheries is now 

 attempting to develop suitable methods of canning these fish 

 in its temporary experimental laboratory at San Pedro. A schedule 

 has been worked out by which each species is subjected to sixteen 

 preliminary methods of packing. After being held under uniform 

 storage conditions for six weeks, these are examined as to appear- 

 ance, quality, taste and the like, and analyzed to determine whether 

 any important chemical change has taken place. Selecting the 

 most promising of the preliminary packs for further tests, finished 

 packs are then put up. To these are added the usual condiments 

 or oils, or the fish are subjected to some prior method of treatment, 

 such as smoking. These packs are then stored under uniform 

 conditions and are to be examined at the end of three, six and 

 twelve months, which is believed to be a reasonable time in which 

 to determine keeping qualities. 



Careful records of all operations are kept, making it possible 

 to determine the cost price at any time, if the cost of the ingredients 

 is known. Mackerel put up in olive oil, tuna style, and in cotton- 

 seed, corn or olive oil, after kippering, are particularly promising 

 packs. In fact, packers who have examined these have been so 

 impressed with the appearance of the product that request has 



