18 BULLETIN 378, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGBICULTURE. 



Conditions which obtain in plants where fish scrap for fertilizer 

 is made, and the use of decomposed and putrid raw material, must 

 not be permitted in the preparation of fish meal for feeding x^ur- 

 poses. It is believed that fish meal, properly prepared, can be 

 developed into one of the greatest sources of supply of high-protein 

 stock feeds, and great care should be exercised not to ruin the possi- 

 bilities at the very beginning of the enterprise by preparing and 

 marketing an article unfit for feeding purposes. 



It is suggested that the trade names, fish " scrap," fish " pomace," 

 or fish " guano," be retained and be specifically applied to the product 

 which is to be used as a fertilizer and which has been prepared with 

 no great care in regard to factory cleanliness or to the degree of 

 spoilage of the raw material, and that the name " fish meal " be ap- 

 plied to the product specifically prepared for feeding purposes. 



OPINIONS OF THE TRADE IN REGARD TO FEEDING FISH MEAL. 



The question of the use of fish meal by the trade was touched upon 

 by correspondence with a number of the leading stock-food manu- 

 facturers at the time the experimental lots of meal were being pre- 

 pared at Eastport, Me., during the sardine season of 1914. Samples 

 of the meal and the analyses were submitted and the manufac- 

 turers were asked to express their opinion of it, and to state whether 

 they had had any experience with the use of fish meal and whether 

 they could use it in the preparation of a stock or poultry food. 



Only two of the manufacturers had ever used fish meal and this 

 was in compounding poultry mashes. One firm which used it for 

 this purpose stated they would be able to handle the entire output 

 from the sardine industry. Several of the firms stated that in their 

 opinion it would be valuable material for poultry feeds, while others 

 were quite willing to try it for the manufacture of hog feed, stating 

 that it should be able to replace tankage to good advantage, par- 

 ticularly if a more favorable price could be obtained. 



Some doubted whether it could be used for a dairy feed on account 

 of the fishy odor which might prevent the animals from eating it 

 and because of the possibility of tainting the products. If it could 

 be used for this purpose, it was the opinion of some that it would 

 be a very valuable substance in preparing dairy feeds and a great 

 boon to the dairy industry. 



While only two of the firms had ever had any experience with the 

 use of this material for feeding, they were all very much interested 

 and made inquiries as to the amount of the material available, 

 shipping classifications, and price. From this interest displayed 

 and the favorable results obtained by its use, it would seem that a 

 market should be assured for a good, well-prepared article. 



