32 
depends on the fortunes of the fishermen, the supply of fish is un- 
certain and irregular. No plant runs constantly at capacity. Some 
may stand idle for months in the midst of the fishing season. The 
fish are worked up as received. This is especially necessary in warm 
weather, when the fish often bruised and softened by the crushing 
produced from their own weight, are sure to spoil rapidly. Accord- 
ingly, the factories are operated intermittently. A much higher 
daily capacity is maintained therefore than would be necessary in 
handling a raw material of a more permanent character, or one sup- 
plied with greater regularity. 
THE FLOATING FACTORY. 
The perfection of the automatic apparatus for handling fish scrap 
with dispatch has been followed by another attempt to manufacture 
scrap in a vessel capable of following the menhaden during the 
season. In July, 1911, the Mills was put into commission. This 
steamer is a converted steel dredge of 5,000 tons, which has been 
equipped with two elevators, one on each side, with a capacity of 
1,500 barrels of fish per hour. These deposit the fish into receiving 
bins of 5,000 barrels capacity. A continuous and automatic cooker is 
provided and a rotary press. Storage room, with adequate fire pro- 
tection, is reserved for the dried and bagged scrap, and likewise 
storage tanks capable of holding as much as 3,000 barrels of oil. A 
wireless outfit is likewise provided. 1 
COMPOSITION OF FISH AND FISH SCRAP. 
OLD ANALYSES. 
Since fish scrap is sold on the basis of its nitrogen content, a great 
many analyses of it have been made, both by the manufacturer of the 
finished goods and the inspectors of fertilizers. Many of these have 
found their way into the literature. In addition a number of analy- 
ses of the entire fresh fish are to be found in the literature. Certain 
of these are quoted below. 
In the following table is given the analysis of fresh menhaden by 
Cook: 2 
Table VI. — Analysis of fish. 
FRESH. 
Constituent. 
Proportion. 
Water 
Per cent. 
77 150 
Oil 
3 914 
IS 936 
1 Dismantled at close of season of 1912. 
2 Geol. of N. J., 1868, p. 497. 
