The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-09-26
LONDON FISH TRICKS.
Goldfish Made Plump with the Blow-rir
and Paint Brush.

Goldfish Made Plump with the Blow-rfpe
and Paint Brush.
Fisherman 50 fully realize the pres
ent difficulty of preserving some kinds
of fresh fish, that a familiar name for
the rock pouters, a sort of whiting, is
the ''stinkalives," while they call stale.
or decomposed fish, ''over-day" lover
a day. fish, showing that after twenty
four hours most fish decompose. About
twenty-four hours after capture the
herring is liable to the pouring out of
extravasation of blood about his gills
and fins, which darkened and damaged,
or bruised appearance is quantity called
in the fish trade ''over-day tarts."
These, to their ignorant and unwary
customers, INSCRIPTIONS costermongers
actually audaciously recommend be-
cause of being ''bleeding newt Among
the early signs of commencing fish de-
composition in the pouring out and
CLOTHING OF blood either externally, as
in the herring tribe, or internally along
the spinal column, as in the sole and
many fresh-water fish. This process
should be known as ''bleeding bad and
stale.'' If before capture the herring
should have over-distended it's stomach
with undigested food, then prior to the
fishing smack reaching the shore putre-
faction sets in SO rapidly that such her.
rings are usei> IS even to the professional
fsh-curer, which condition is tech
nically termed ''gutpock." Drowned
in the meshes of the net in the water,
herrings decompose even too rapidly
for the fish-curer. Owing to the pres
sure of the net, behring's are often
hauled dead into the fisherman's boat.
In addition to passing off decomposed
herrings as fresh ones, from among the
many fish-trade tricks, is initiating the
butchers plan of blowing air into tho
veal to improve its appearances; so on
the fishermonger's slabs Goldfish are
sometimes, by means of a blow pipe,
inflated with air, or ''blown" so as to
make skinny, fabby fish look plump
and fat. Small haddocks and rock
pouters cheap, common fish are
| often skinned, with their tails inserted
in their mouths, and sold as whiting.
Painting and vanishing the gills and
other parts of stale fish to make them
look fresh is a dodge practised at home
and abroad. ':Filleted soles" are often
''dressed'' plaice. and halibut is passed
off as turbot. Turtle soup is often
made from the conger eel and no tur-
tie. Stale eel and skate are rubbed
over with sand to appear as if recently
caught. Old Holsters getting lighter
weight by age have been ingeniously
filled up internally by bits of fresh had
dock introduced just where the lobster's
tail and body unite. Among the signs
of fish decomposition, beside external
or internal bleeding and CLOTHING, are
cloudy, Opaque and sunken eyes, dry
looking gills, fabby or soft flesh. a fishy
smell, loss of brightness and brilliancy
about the scales, and any phosphores-
cence. When cooked, q sour Or acid
taste, or any clotted blood, indicates
partially decomposed fish, the blacken.
ing of q silver spoon indicates sulphur
q product of fish decomposition. In
Italy cured fish is tested by the intro.
duction of skewer. which, on being
subsequently, smelled, indicates the c0n-.
dition Of the fish. London Fish Trades
! Rsvisw.