Orr.—The Retail Fish Market 109 



Some species of fish are inherently better keepers than others. 

 Some have better shipping qualities, and these would naturally 

 keep longer after reaching destination than those known as poor 

 shippers. It should, of course, be patent to all that fish will keep 

 much better in cold weather than in hot weather. Much depends 

 also on the length of time elapsing between the taking of the 

 fish from the fishermen's nets and their being packed in ice. 

 Some fishermen carry ice in their boats and ice the fish as soon as 

 they are taken from the water. Fish thus treated will keep 

 much longer than fish which are not iced until brought ashore, 

 frequently many hours after their capture. 



The care exercised in icing and handling is also a controlling 

 factor. Insufficient ice, improper distribution of ice in the package, 

 neglect of re-icing the fish by express messengers while in transit, 

 the dropping of huge chunks of ice on the fish, thus bruising them 

 and -hastening spoilage, all tend to reduce the length of time the 

 fish will keep. 



It will thus be seen that there are three factors governing the 

 length of time fish will keep after delivery to the dealer over which 

 the dealer not only has no control, but concerning which he has 

 little or no knowledge. They are as follows: 



1. Length of time between capture and icing. 



2. Method of icing and handling until delivery to dealer. 



3. Length of time between capture and delivery to dealer. 



It would, therefore, be impracticable to set any definite limit 

 of time by which the dealer could safely be governed. Under the 

 average conditions of capture, icing, and delivery of fish, the 

 dealer may reasonably expect to keep his stock for several days, 

 in some cases perhaps a week, provided, of course, he has a proper 

 receptacle for the keeping of the fish and observes the require- 

 ments of proper icing and handling. It must be borne in mind that 

 everything depends upon the condition of the fish when delivered 

 and that the longer they remain unsold, the more precarious 

 becomes the position of the dealer. 



It must not be presumed from the above that the retail fish 

 business cannot safely be engaged in except by the highly intelli- 

 gent and technically expert. There are many means by which 

 the amateur can with little practice determine the condition of the 



