The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-06-14
Our @io.
American saidines.


This beautiful little ish, now that il
forms staple article Of trade, is engaging
the attention Of the Swans who were a
long time at fault in arriving at even an
approximate knowledge ofso-called Ameri-
can sardines. Packed with olive oil in
tin cans, Invested Of their heads, and other
wise disguised by the preserving process,
il was difficult to trace correctly the genus
and particular variety whence this delicate
moroccan comes. II often happens that
where science il at fault the world Is
indebted to accident, or to crude ideas
emanating from obscure sources for the
ultima thule Gifts labors. In this instance,
where the pisciculturists have been at
fault, the comparatively obscure fisherman
has stepped in with bis homely knowledge
and at once dispelled all existing doubts
on the subject, Il appears that the fish
known as the American sardine, put up
for market in Theoretically scaled cans,
are fish commonly designated by pro-
fessional fishermen, ocean trout, TtEtta
Oceana,) belonging to the genus .Sdlmo
fontinaks, very much resembling, and
supposed to be identical with, the silver,
or sea trout, (tyatta nsariaa.A These fish
are shaped like the brook trout, and are
similar in all facial peculiarities, except
that brownish black takes the place Of
the vermillion dots peculiar to the latter.
As all salt water trout come under the
head Of 'sTrutta Marina, we cannot con-
ceiye why the term "0ceana" is affixed,
except it be 70 distinguish this particular
variety from the silver or sea trout. II
certainly is not technical term, nor can
it be found in any treatise on fishes.
Large schools ofthese fish, varying from
3 to inches in length, migrate in the
Spring Of the year from the ocean to the
estuaries Of bays and rivers in the Canadian
Dominions, and the Eastern and Northern
States, as far South as Long Island, where
they are taken in fine seines in large num-
bers from the latter part Of April to the
early part Of November
The sardine proper is species Of the
herring genus. They are said to abound
in large schools on our coasts, are taken
in considerable quantities on the coasts Of
Algarve in Portugal, Andalusia, and
Granada in Spain, and also along the
shores Of Italy. The small sardines caught
on the coast of Provence in France are
esteemed the best for preserving. From
one thousand to fifteen hundred fishing
smacks are engaged in catching these on
the coast Of Brittany, from the middle Of
May TO the middle Of October. The vast
proportions Of this trade may be readily
understood when il is known that the i'm
portation Of sardines into the United
States alone in 1870 amounted to 125 900
kilogFammes. 4ssA MsSA
Actuated by the growing importance Of
this trade, and the value of the fish as q
commodity, few enterprising gentlemen
Of this city conceived the idea of canning
our American fish for market, preserved
in the sanie manner as the French, and,
by afording them at q less price, eventually
supercede the foreign article in our home
markets. The first step toward this end
was to erect factory somewhere on our
line Of coast, and commence the work Of
experimenting with various small fry.
Accordingly in the early part of 1870 a
suitable site was procured, and the neces-
sary buildings erected, at Port Monmouth,
N. J. Here, after some time consumed
in testing their experiments, the Trutto
Oceana was selected as the most available
for the purpose intended, and this was done
at the instance Of an experienced old fish
erman, whose services have since been
retained. 1t was at this period the com
pany was formed now known as the
American Sardine Company. The bust
ness, at first conducted on comparatively
small scale, has quadrupled itself in the
short space of three years. The demand
for these fish has gradually become 50
extensive that the works of the company
now cover an acre of ground, and give
employment TO over one hundred men.
Thus has an important American industry
grown up in our midst, with every promise
of abundant success. The canned FISH
known as the American sardine affords a
delicious fish for the table, and is regarded
BY epicures as quite as good as and far
more delicate than the imported sardine.
-Tdrf, Field and Farm.