Centennial Meeting. 25 



Norway, where fish are dried and cured without salt, present the 

 greatest advantages. In the same bulk or weight you have all 

 food. Perhaps the climate of Norway would allow the fish to 

 be prepared in this peculiar way, which would not be possible 

 in the United States or in Canada. That the fish dry-cured were 

 excellent, and will stand over-heated weather is quite manifest, 

 as may be seen by going to the very fine Norwegian exhibit in 

 Agricultural Hall. Both Spain and Portugal put up crude fish 

 of the cheaper varieties in admirable ways, worthy of imi- 

 tation. 



As to the finer preparations of fish, such as Sweden and 

 Norway send into the Northern markets, and are called delica- 

 tessen, we have ever so much to learn from them. I need not 

 call your attention to the admirable French preparations of fish, 

 which excel those of any other country ; for French sardines, like 

 French bonnets, go all over the world. As to our own canned 

 preparations, they are excellent in their way, but they are 

 wanting in variety. They are monotonous. It may be said that 

 what we put up meets the demand, but there is no doubt that if 

 we got out of the stereotyped forms of preparation, such as are 

 represented by canned salmon, and tried our hand at other 

 things or methods, our success would be greater. We have 

 innumerable fish on our coast, now neglected, which ought to 

 be cared for, and which, if properly arranged, would find eager 

 purchasers all over the world. Of course an opening has been 

 made in this direction, and our American canners are putting up 

 good preparations in oil, which even find a market as far off as 

 Russia. Nevertheless we are still somewhat wanting in the art 

 and delicacy of the thing. Our method of canning salmon, the 

 natural one, is entirely original, and has assumed marvellous 

 proportions. It is on the Pacific side that this immense fish 

 harvest is garnered, and I may state from careful statistics that 



