30 BULLETIN 908, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



salt, Pettersson(22) found that anchovies and similar preparations 

 always contain numerous cocci, rods, and yeasts as bacterial flora. 

 Apparently, therefore, certain forms of bacteria survive the exces- 

 sive salting given such products. Table 10 shows that a little over 

 3 per cent was the maximum quantity of salt found in the flesh, 

 viscera, and contents of fish subjected to the ordinary salting or 

 pickling process — not a sufficient amount to retard bacterial growth. 

 In fact, a media containing 3.33 per cent salt was found to be the 

 most favorable for the growth of bacteria common to this region. 



This experiment proves also that" the analysis of the viscera and 

 contents may be taken as a very good indication of the time and the 

 rate at which the fish deteriorate, and that the intestines and con- 

 tents show decomposition in greater quantity at an earlier period' 

 than does the flesh. Another interesting point brought out in these 

 experiments is the fact that decomposition extends to the flesh of 

 fish held in salt for an excessive length of time. 



Fish Caeried in Compartments, Surrounded with Ice and Salt Mixture. 



This shipment was made at the same time as the one in the pre- 

 ceding experiment. Two tubs of fish, weighing 294 pounds, from 

 the same catch were used. The fish were equally divided among the 

 five compartments of the box designed to carry them, and com- 

 pletely surrounded with ice and salt mixture. They were not piled 

 over 5 or 6 inches deep. A hole in the bottom of the hogshead in 

 which the box was placed allowed the drainage to pass into the hold 

 of the boat. The temperature of the iced fish in the third compart- 

 ment from the top, after 12 hours, was 3° C. (37.4° F.). After 25 

 hours' standing the temperature in the third and fourth compart- 

 ments was 1£° C. (34.7° F.), and after 30 hours the temperature 

 reached —1° C. (30.2° F.). Some of the ice and salt had melted, 

 about one-fourth of the total quantity used remaining at this time. 



These fish remained firm and plump, even after standing 25 hours. 

 They did not have a leached-out appearance, but were of a brighter 

 and better color than those which had been carried in the salt. 

 When the samples were being prepared for analysis, the iced fish 

 looked like fresh fish. At the end of 6 hours, however, a difference 

 was noted in the appearance of the gills which were not as bright a 

 red as those of fresh fish. The fish retained their freshness of color 

 and consistency of flesh throughout the time they were kept. Even 

 at the end of 50 hours, in spite of the fact that they had deteriorated 

 to such an extent as to be unfit for packing, they had a better ap- 

 pearance than those which had been kept in salt. At the end of 12 

 hours the fish surrounded with ice were in splendid shape, still firm 

 and plump, although they had lost the stiff, rigid condition shown 

 previous to this time. At the end of 25 hours a few fish in both lots 

 (in salt and in ice) showed broken bellies, but one lot had no more 



