New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-09-08
PREPARING SALMON FOB MARKET.

yRARs-sOuRCEs OF sUPPLY-PRoCEss OF PRE-
PARATIoN-How FRESH SALMON ARE BROUGHT
TO NEw-YoRK.
AS the season for salmon fishing has just
ended the presentation OF some facts relating 10 the
catching canning preserving the fresh fish Tor the
market Is not inappropriate at this tme Inc "eScin
rivers of this country in great measure su ply the
world with canned salmon and the industry mas aI
tanned important proportions The great canning center
is at Astoria, about IL miles from the mouth Vi INC
Columbia River, in Oregon. This river draining '"Ss
territory in the great Northwest Is fed enrev ny
mountain streams, which formed by the continuous
melting Of the peaks among which tney nave
their In consequence, the waters or the Co
ba are Icy cold at all OF the year-tbe tempeF
ture best adapted to maintain the fish in excellent con-
dition The months from April to August 10 IN the
spawnng seasOn and the salmon in enormous numbers
leave the ocean, making their way up the river ana its
tributaries TO deposit their millions OF eggs in the shall
lower parts OF the Thss the beginning OF busy
season for the large canning establishments on the
river and the work of catching begins. AS TIC
fish do not take bait during this season, the
catching is done with nets and always at night because
the water of the river being very clear the nsn see ne
nets during the day and either swim over or under tne
When the fish are brought aearly morning the packers
Immediately take charge Of them and clean them Inc
fish are then soaked in brine for certain time a1ter
which they cut up in pieces OF the right size e
cans These are then flied, and the operations OF oohE
and sealing done rapidly as possible 10 tue
sI.olling Of the fish, Each can Is carefully tes'eo ao
this work is DONE and those cans which are mperiec"S
sealed are not allowed pass out Of the establishments
For this wear the product Of the Columbia River alone
has been estimated the enormous total OF 2OOOOOoo
pounds Of canned salmon, and when the loss OF weight
from cleaning and cooking the quantity salted In barrels
and the amount consumed by the white people and
Indians in the vicinity taken into account the agsre
gate Ia increased nearly 600 pounds production
fxuifb such am
for canned salmon - greater than the supply and the
seasons are always anticipated. the production Dehe
boueht ahead before the catching begins The cans are
shipped to all parts of the world They are packed Ih
cases. each of which contains four dozen cases weghga
pound and a quarter apiece England alone taxes
1875 900 cases; New-zealand 2,4o0; South America
1900; Australia Il 600; New-York and the Atlantic
coast $4,000. The yaue Of the canned salmon OF INC
Columbia River Is estimated at 100000 annually.
The greatest demand for salmon preserved in this
manner upon the Pacific coast and among the FRONTIER
settlements OF the West From the gold mines OF Cali
ornia TO the Sierra Nevada Of Colorado the arde
o. no miners cabin is considered complete without It's
store Of canned salmon.
When any accident occurs In the process OF preparing
the salmon such as imperfect canning, the hsh are
taken out and sailed in barrels each containing ABOUT
300 pounds The sailed fish are shipped East, wbere
they are reshened and put through process OF
hem then sold In the markets smoked salmon FROM
the catching OF the fish to the completion VI tue WORK
In consideration OF the great and the enormous
OF canned salmon each year ana the TaET s
that they require tn protection OF tne aw saS %
= asked M2S Ss western Sah streams w SH
are the probabilities OF future suppest lnose III chk
OF the fisheries say that people residing III that part OF
the counry for MANY years unable TO any de-
crease IN the number Of fish annually gong up tne yeI
and tat their nets. having neshes e2 lnches III SIG,
ony catch the largest fish, the smaller escaping More
over, as the fishing IL always done at night enough
sS anay Is T Wy 's Rate that the territory OF Alaska
all the conditions for successful salmon nsbnY
ip the abundance OF that fish. Hence II L.
asserted that The supply VIII hoe 90 an ~ Ir
for many years 20 come. Perhaps some may lninire
why N the production Is great aud the supply almost
luexhaustble should the price OF fresh salmon remain
30 hight The transportation OF fresh s Tor great aus
lance Is impossible with refrigerator cars which
at best very imperfect the sn wouia not pear H .e
cisco in any other shape than as canned OF sailed AZ
though the cost Of the nsh when caught merely uo
nal tIe number OF processes tey y @ , No.
expense freight enhance their yaue ana Tue cost ~
the men best qualified 70 give opinion 10 the matter
Fresh salmon they e seen ON the nsh stalls oI tne
no into the Atlantic along the coast Of Maine aud
north OF It, The largest sold In the New YORK markets
are from the waters OF NewBrunswick, Nova Scotia 81
Johns Bay, MIramchi River, Restgoucbe River and the
Bay Chaleur Tho "catch" OF salmon varies UOl year
10 YEAR the fish run In the rivers wien they are taken
and generally continues from May TO Aug 10. when 1t
ceases by order OF the Fish commissioners Oh Shadp
The best catch" il usually between May and Aug L.
the largest fsh running at that time. Tue total quantity
of salmon caught the Canadian waters tls year was
about $50 600 pounds which 100000 pounds came TO
s market The best OF the fresh fish came
from the Rye TGG rver % Ms Gn d @
produce largely, only about lo0o pounds reaSnlng
would have been remarkable this year, but
about the first on July The quantity caught up to that
time was nearly large the wnole product OF ast
wear Dealers estimate that the supply diminished
luis wear no least onehaf by this singular freak Of
fish But so large the catch during tne brief season
tnat the price OF salmon fell from 80 cents pound to
I1io eents This probably would not have happened In
New York but for an enterprise started by r. IT, Black
circumstances In following way: new branch Road
having completed III tue early part OF June from
Montreal JampbenCoD the kestigonche River,
aIrail route to New-York furnished, by means OF
which fish could be transported IN % hours PREVIOUS 20
tins opportnity t necessary TO corn OF salt the
salmon Mr. Backford had Six refrigerator cars, coli
structea with double walls inches apart. The space
between the walls was filled with sawdnst the
conductor of heat except charcoal Tue upper paris OF
large auanucs OF Ice which was laid racks made
that purpose but placed upon the bottom or the
were packed in snowcoliected during the Winter for
this purpOse-in boxes, each OF which contained loo
pounds When the salmon reached New-Iork and were
taken from the they appeared as fIesn and bright
colored when caught. Alter being uni aeked they
were placed upon shelves In great refrigerator vaults,
silnar in many respects the refrigerator In
these vaults the temperature Is kept below freezing
nain.aned is go Fahrenheit In this condition sh
kept mouths preserving their delicate flavor and
luxury When taken from vaults the fish frozen
stiff In these vaults, in addition To the fish large
filled with the legs OF frogs ready for cooking US
supply Of salmon for the Winter is kept on hand
about $4,000 pounds being the total stored up TO the
present time Great numbers of the fish obtained In the
similar to that used the Columbia which has been de-
scrbed The Eastern producers however are gradually
abandoning the canning business, as 10 Impossible "
compete with the Pacific coast.
HANDLING NTTRo-GLYCERINE.
To the EdftOr OF The tribune.