Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-06-05

ultioH, anu olner Signs VIII ne pres
CIT to aid in turning the prospective
pufchas + aside.
1T Is well to remember that de-
4 composition sets in much more rapid
~ in bruised or damaged fish, this be-
ing one reason why fish caught in a
lgill nN do not keep so long as fish
caught in trap nets or haul seines
/ The Importance of an acute and
trained sense of smell In testing all
sea foods cannot be overestimatcd.
Unfortunately, it is practically i'm
possible to fix any standard of smell
when inspecting fish, however, if "A
lputrid odor is present no standard is
necessary.
In unwashed fish there is always
IAN odor from the slime on the surface
of the fish, which often is decnmpos-
ling, although the fish itself may be
Iqaite sound and probably fresh. The
absence of any putrid smell is not al
ways a safe guide, however, for if The
fish has been pit on ice it may smell
fresh and yet rapidly change when
taken off of ice while the frequent
washings given by some dealers to
fish 10 brighten them up has tend
Icncy To keep down the offensive smell
| Difficulty arises when the fish is be-
tween the fresh and putrid states, and
the degree of odor is doubtful. IN
IsGeh cases there is nothing 10 do but
subject the fish to other tests, and
form decision by them collectively.
| When fish is. fresh the flesh will
ne found TO be firm and elastic to the
| touch. II decomposition is present the
| ilesh VIII be soft fiabby and will pit
very much under slight pressure from
the finger. If fresh the flesh is not
| easily stripped from the backbone
| neither does it come away so clean as
| when ii has commenced to decompose.
II the housewife asks. almost any
| dealer will strip the fish enough to
| demonstrate that it is fresh. Another
test is 10 hold it between the thumb
ana fnger, eXertiug a moderate pres
sure If the flesh readily parts il
| may be considcre unsound.
| The presence of a diffusrti red line
on the under side of the backbone is a
positive indication that accommodation
has commenced, or is strongly pres
ent, according to the depth of the red
color When the abdominal walls
show well marked discolotaf.ons. and
a }
Sether with an unpleasant odor. de-
composition is well established. Do
not confuse this with the cuts that
sometimes are present in the abdomi-
nal parts of fish, owing to the sharn
corners Of ice, in which it has been
packed for shipment, breaking
through.
Rightly and stiffness arc SIRE
guide Tor fresh fish. but rigor mortfs
passes off in the course OF time. The
length OF time that fish remain in
| figor m9rtis depcnGs upon number
OF conditions, such as seasonabicness
method of capture. storage, handline
etc. But the absence of rieor mortis
Is not proof of unsoundness, and
should not be depended upon alone
| W hlie all fish show practically the
same indications of unsoundnesss
there are some differences. For in
stance, in the shad and herring. when
theN commence to get stale their
heads will turn red. their eyes lose
their brightness and sink into the
| head. The gills will turn cark. and
tafterward, as blood is lost the ellis
will turn white, and meat become soft
and dark, while along the backbone
decay hrst starts.
| In the case of catfish, the gills first
turn dark, and afterWard white. The alb
domlnal parts will swell and turn green.
| while the skin on the back becomes
| white In the mackerel the eve loses
brightness, the giils turn dark and after
ward white, while the meat becomes
soft, but does not change much IN color.
| Rock-hsh, or striped bass, show the
change by the eyes becoming gray and
! shtunken, the gtls losing their eharac-
terlstic tinge, becoming dark, and after
waId white. The flesh strips readily and
c.eap'y from the backbone. Nine inches
1 IS TIE shortest length that this fish is al
! lowed to be sold in the District of Col.
umbia. The symptoms for black bass
are the same as the other bass.
| when the halibut becomes unfit for
food the skin beaches and becomes vel.
low and milky substance is exuded
from the skin. As said before. it us.
! ually is the case that no one of these
tests is absolute, although if any condi.
I ton given is markedly present it is best
TO pass on to another dealer"
why is 1t said that oysters are COCO
only during months with the Letter 'R
in theme Mr.. Evans was asked.
| wei, to tell the truth about the mat
ter. there is nothing wrong with oysters
during the four summer months that are
| without the n he replied. at Is true
however, that during these months til,
| oyster is spawning, and the flesh /,
| rather flahby and tasteless. Most ovs
ters in their prime are from four to five
| years of age. although some are con.
| sidered best between six and seven years
of age. The age of an oyster can be
readily told by counting the externa
successive layers of she'll. one for eacl
year of life. This method is reasonably
certain up to seven years of age
''fhe size of the average oyster re.