Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-04

ing an appropriation of $4,000 for in
vestigation by the United States Fish
Commission. Mr.. Kinds wrote the fav-
orable report on this bill (Which has
recently passed the Senate) and incor-
porated into it lot of interesting in
formation. Following are scientific
comments on the situation which were
obtained from the Bureau of Fisheries:
Leaving out of consideration. certain
secondary or subsidiary uses, principally
of waste parts. fishes are economically
utilized for fertilizer and for food. For
the first purpose they must be cheap as
abundant in fairly regular supply easily
caught and easily handled. If the dog
fish be economically available for the
manufacturer of fertilizer it will be uti-
lized by factories privately owned and al
ways on the watch for a supply of suit
able and cheap raw material. There is
no doubt that fertilizer of good quality
can be produced from dogfsh, the only
question being whether the fish can be
obtained at price low enough to show.
profit on operations. If they can not be
profitably used for private works. there
is no reason to suppose that they can be
by those under Government control.
THE value of the fish will be governed
comparatively with other fishes. and If the
price be arbitrarily fixed too low the fish
ermen will not supply the fish, and if too
high. as in bills proposed for the estab-
lishment of government reduction works.
there will be an operating loss and the
excess price of raw material will be in
effect bounty to the fishermen
None but the cheapest fish will be used
for fertilizer. and, considering the heavy
wear and tear on gear involved in taking
dogtsh, it is doubtful If they can be TAX tax.
appears to be the only means by which
they may be converted into an economic
product. That they are not at present
to- 81 s,
ton for the belief that they can not be
introduced into the national diet There
are numerous instances of despised fishes
and other aquatic animals attaining high
favor after their qualities became known.
Within mparatively recent time the
sturgeon especially in the Great Lakes,
was regarded as a nuisance and ruthless
ly DESTROYED, but today a single large fe
male fish may sell for as much as $3.50:
The silver hake of the New England
coast was formerly wholly unutlized,
the catfishes are becoming highpriced
fishes, and frogs are regarded as a deli
cacy. and the subject of frog farms is
exciting interest as source of profit. In
stances might be multiplied.
THE failure to eat dogfish in the United
States appears to be due to prejudice
against them rather than to any lack of
nutritiousness of palatability. There are
coast, the spined or horned dogfish, which
has the more northern range. and the
smooth 6oghsh. which is generally more
abundant south of Cape Cod These diff
fer somewhat in the character of their
flesh, the spined species being more oily
and resembling in composition me-
dunn grades of salmon. This fish is we'll
suited for canning. The smooth dogfsh
is drier and when used fresh it's flavor
and qualities have been lkened to those
of halibut and swordfish. Neither of
these fish has Objectionable or unclean
feeding habits. one feeding on organisms
similar to jelly fishes and possibly on true
fishes, and the other on crabs, starfish
and other bottOm-dwelling animals
Both so far as food is concerned, re-
semble other fishes highly esteemed on
the table. Their flesh is white and in ex-
ternal appearance they are not repulsive;
their skins secrete little mucus and they
never look Shiny like cod and haddock
when massed in the holds of vessels.
They are eaten extensively in various
parts of Europe. In Norway and Sweden
they are used both fresh and sailed or
dried. In England. where there was for
merly the same prejudice existing as in
the United States, the spined dogfsh has
emerged from its odium and is gradually
assuming position Of importance as a
food fish, about five and one-half million
pounds being used in 1912. In the fried
fish shops 1t masquerades and is readily
eaten as plaice, one of the most popular
of English fishes, thus demonstrating
that the elimination of prejudice against
It is prime factor In its Introduction in
to cOnSumptlou.''