The Alaska daily empire., 1918-02-01
A. J. Sprague Gives the Housewives and Others Some Practical
 Suggestions.
FISH IS A GOOD DIET
There Are Several Varie- ties of Canned Salmon Which Are Fine
 Eating.

That the average person, that is person not personally engaged in the fish business, and nearly every housewife is entirely "at sea" when buying canned or fresh salmon is the statement of storekeepers and others in Juneau who come in daily contact with the buying public. Act ing on their suggestion that some thing be printed to set them right about the different brands of salmon and the trade names under which they are canned. the Empire appealed 70 A. J. Sprague, who is in charge nf the hatchery of the Southeastern Alaska Fish and Game Club hatchery on Front Street for a short expla- nation.
 In short article prepared for the press Mir. Sprague says: Ninety nine per cent. of the buying public insists on getting red fish either fresh or in cans, being under the impression that this fish is superior
 0 those of other colors. In this way color prejudice has been estab- lished which is netirely without foun- dation Out of the five species of salmon on the Pacific Coast there are at least fifteen grades of salmon after it reaches the can.
 "The general public favors the King Salmon or the Sockeye, yet the o. Keta' or dog salmon taken in it's prime is the equal of any sal mon that ever swan in the sea. Yet the very name dog queers it with the trade. Another thing which works against the dog salmon is it's repulsive looks at certain stages of it's existence, e,, rs,,.,
 "The dog salmon feeds mainly on red shrimp and other crustaceans which are found in certain parts of the ocean near the surface by the hundreds of acres. This food causes to dog salmon to deteriorate very rap idly after being taken from the wa Ser If a sockeye were to feed on the same food, it would rot away in t from the water The same thing is true of herring which feed on the same food They have to be i'm pounded for days after capture, or lntil the red food has been worked from them, or they would rot almost 1t once after being removed from the water
 "A salmon may said to be in it's prime before the development of the roe, or milt, for at that time there is a surplus of vitality, oil and nour- ishment stored in their bodies to perform their one mission in life.
 "No one species of salmon from the same locality and food supply Is superior to any other. l have taken three separate species of salmon from the same water and food supply and after cooking they could not be told apart. Each species of salmon is canned under several trade names. and although some of the grades command a higher price on the mar kets, it is almost entirely due to the
 
 color prejudice which has been es- tablished and which is entirely with out foundation. As matter of fact those who have had wide experience claim that the white King is superior to the red for food fish, and that the Humpback and Dog salmon are superior to the others.
 "The following list will inform the public of the species of salmon and their common trade names, although each cannery has it's own special brand, the trade name always re- mains the same.
 "King salmon, known as Spring. Columbia River, Chinook. and King; Red salmon. known as Red Salmon, Sockeye, Blueback, Quinault; Coho, known as Coho, Silver, Silversides; and Medium Red; Humpback, known as Pink salmon; Dog. known as Chum or Keta In Siberia the dog salmon is known as the Pink