FrFTp:KNl'H ANNIIAI, MKKIING. 69 



to be used for bait. From that experiment began a rapidly in- 

 creasing trade in frozen herring from Newfoundland and New- 

 Brunswick for the supply of the Georges codfishermen,and this 

 bait is still the principal kind used by the fleets fishing from 

 Gloucester in winter. The frozen herring also found a ready 

 market in Bosttrn, New York and other places as a cheap food 

 supply. These tish have always been frozen by simple exposure 

 in the open air, a warm spell interfering with the work. After 

 freezing thev are packed in bulk in the vessel's hold, snow being 

 often mixed witli them. 



In Russia and other cold countries of Europe and Asia, for 

 verv many years there has been a trade in frozen fish, and other 

 animal foods. In Thibet, as early as the year 1806, the flesh of 

 animals was preserved by frost drying — not simply freezing — 

 and in this condition it would keep in good condition for many 

 months. Meat thus preserved did not have a raw appearance, 

 but in color resembled that which had been well boiled, the 

 ruddiness being removed by the intense cold. 



Thus far I have spoken only of iced fish and of fish frozen 

 by natural means. The first definite record we have of fish 

 frozen by artificial method is the patent (No. 31,736) granted in 

 March, i86i,to Enoch Piper, of Camden, Maine. It is described 

 as a method of preserving fish or other articles in a close cham- 

 ber by means of a freezing mixture, having no contact with the 

 atnKJsphere of the preserving chamber. Mr. Piper states that 

 the most important application of his invention is for the pre- 

 servation of salmon, which had heretofore been preserved in a 

 fresh condition only by being packed in barrels with crushed 

 ice, which in melting had moistened and injured the fish. The 

 ice, he said, could not keep them more than a month, whereas 

 by the new method they could be kept in good order for years, 

 if need be. The apparatus used by Mr. Piper is described as a 

 box in which the fish are placed in small quantities on a rack, 

 this box being surrounded by a packing of charcoal or other 

 non-conducting material. Metallic pans filled with ice and salt 

 are then set over the fish, and a cover shut over the box. 

 About twenty-four hours is needed to complete the freezing, 

 the ice and salt being renewed once in twelve hours. The fish 



