The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-07-18 00:00:00

BEILXINITER.

SARDINES.

On the high authority of Sir Joseph Banks, maliciously
confirmed by Peter Piudar, the scientific fact was long
since mtablished that limn are not lobsters ; still, looking
at the activity of research which has prevailed since the
time of Sir Joseph, it may sewn a little late in the day to
Ise gravely informed that pilchards and sardines are
identical specimens of the genus Chip,-a. Such, however,
is said to be the verdict arrived at by "our best naturlisits;
and the decision appears to be concurrent with the
discovery that there is no longer any need for us to depend
on French listhernien or Freneh provision-dealers for •
supply of the appetising delicacies known a "Sardines
a l'huile." These pilchards frequent the coast
of France, but not in large numbers. The
vast mass aro caught by French fishermen in the Bay
of Biscay; and the sardines are attracted to the nets by
throwing overloard large quantities of the salted roe of
fishes, of which the pilchards are extremely fond.
Enormous shoals have likewise occasionally made their
appearance on the south coast of :reland : but it is the
south-western shores of England which are the favourite
haunt of this delicioua though somewhat too oleaginuut
little fish. It is found in surprising numbers on the
coasts of Devon and Corns all, chiefly from Dartmouth to
Paslatow, round the Land's End. On the recommendation
of the Food Committee of the Society of Arts, the society's
medal has lawn awarded to Mr. C. J. Fryer for the estab-
lishment in this country of a new branch of industry,
whereby pilclusnls con be preserved in oil. While congra-
tulating Mr. Fryer on his discovery, the epicures on the
prospect g'f procuring sardines at a much cheaper rate
than at which they have hitherto been sold, we may
draw attention to two or three facts concerning the i oreisa
pilchard- -the " gipay herring" of Scotland. The French
sardine does, not, on an average, exceed three inches in
length; whereas the pilchard of Devon and Cornwall is,
according to Mr. Yarrell, from nine to eleven inches long.
The fish is much ..... re oleaginous than the herring—
linked, so astonishing greasy is it that in the old days of
pilchard curing, after the fish had been salted and packed
in hogsheads, powerful levers at the tops of the casks
used to be put in motion for the purpose of extracting
the oil which guahed out through holes made for the
purpose. This tuechanical pressure frequer.tly continued
during a whole fortnight.. The refuse salt, mingled with
the Islssci and scales of fish, was sold as manure to the
farmers, and with such advantage that it was estimated
Oust the refuse from a single pilchard would manure one
square fw,t of land. In conjunction with this calculation
may be taken the stateinent that two thousand hogs-
heads, or about live million fish, have been caught at a
single haul. At the commencement of the present
century a ten of pilchard oil was worth from J;:31 to £25;
but since the introduction of gas as a means of illumin-
ation the value of the fishy product has considerably
decreased. On the whole it is to be hoped that ere the
new industry attains commercial proportions the most
searching inquiries will be made as to how the French
prepare their sardines for the table. The energetic
gentleman who is about to introduce the English pilchard
ss la frale:aise has, no doubt, struck ile." Still, for our
health's sake, sonic precautions may be necessary to
insure the.public against being regaled with too crude
or too copious quantities of greasy fish soaked in
additional grease.