The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1883-08-28
The Sturgeon Fishery.


Scientific american has consider
able to say on the above subject,
from which are CLEANED the follow
ing facts: Sturgeon has been
much neglected until recently, and
its commercial Importance has
been much underestimated. 1t is
really a valuable food fish, and its
neglect may be accounted for in
a measure by the fact that in the
month Of May, when sturgeon are
the most abundant, the market Is
we'll supplied with other and
choicer varieties Of fish. New
York packers have met and over
come this difficulty in the iollow-
ing manner: the sturgeon a. soon
as caught and dressed IS placed in
a large freezer, where. by pat
ented method, they are frozen sol.
id rs they lie in boxes. In Salem.
| y. j., where this process Is ap-
piled, 10,G25 pounds Of sturgeon
can be frozen every seven hours.
After freezing they are taken from
the boxes and stored in large
rooms, through the center Of each
Of which a freezing apparatus eX-
tends, which is charged anew each
day, enabling the keeping of fish
Cor months until there ! 4 demand
for them. The sturgeon range
from Georgia, in winter, to 81.
Johns, y. B., III summer. Many
fishermen are constantly engaged
in the industry, and large gill nets,
each about 200 fathoms long, with
meshes a foot in size, are used.
The Delaware river Is the princi-
pal fishing ground. The fish en-
ter this river about the 22d OF
May, and such extreme numbers
that it is necessary to use nets Of
about 80 fathoms, larger ones be
ingat that time unmanageable. The
average catch is about % or 80 iisl
at every cast. This lasts about
two weeks-thc fish moving stead,
ily up the stream towards the head
of the river. They make a sud
den disappearance about June
10th. 1t is miraculous how they
get out of the river without being
caught. All the fishermen know
. about it is, that one day they art
!, busy catching fish, and on the
next their nets are empty. Th,
!, usual way of preparing sturgeon
= for market is by smoking. Strip
an inch or two thick are pu
through picking process, afte
:. which they are hung on hook
IL over slow fire Of corncobs o
hardwood sawdust. After smok
ing for a single night they ar
. ready for shipment anywhere
p The preparation Of caviar is al
important part OF the business. q
\. this there are two kinds-the soi
9 and the hard-the latter bein!
worth about twice rs much as I'll
former. To make the best ariicl
the roe is taken from the sturgeo
s. as soon as possible after thc lis
has been caught. Before bein
dried it is rubbed through a coars
sieve to break the eggs apart an
Ne to free them from membranou
tissue Next it Is thorough
salted, and after standing a certai
length of time it IS emptied int
fine sieves, where it remains INT
it is so dry rs to roll like sho
nd After it is finished ii is packed ]
&? casks lined with napkin liner
= each layer being salted with fin
table salt. The kegs hold aboJ
- $50 pounds each. Properly care
for, it will keep year or longe
1t is sometimes canned like frui
when it can be transported
warm countries, keeping indei
nitely. 1t is largely used through
- out Europe, and in Russia not
meal is prepared which does n,
include this delicacy. In Il
=. western and southern states it
rapidly growing into favor, and