Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-09-29

Inc sturgeon range from Georgia, in
winter, to st. John, N. b., in summer,
and are followed up throughout the sea-
son by men expert in their capture.
Large gill nets are used in this business,
each about two hundred fathoms long,
and with meshes a foot in size. The
Delaware River is the principal field OF
operation. Sturgeon enter this stream
about the 22d Of May. and in such i'm
mense numbers that nets about a quar-
ter length have to be used, larger ones
being at that time unmanageable. Mr..
Blackson, an experienced fisherman,
tells me that he has seen them so album
dant that his net would sink with their
weight as soon as it wasGthrown out.
The average catch per net is from
twenty-five to thirty fish apiece, at each
cast. This lasts about two weeks.
The sturgeon move steadily up stream
toward the head of the river, and then
suddenly disappear about the 10th Of
June, after which they must be sought
elsewhere. How they get out of the river
without being caught is mystery.
All that the fishermen know about II
is, that one day they are busy CATCH
ing fish, and the next all their nets are
empty!
The boats used in this business are all
constructed on the same general plan;
about twenty-four feet keel. seven or
eight feet beam, capable of carrying
about thirty sturgeon apiece. A boat
load of big ones looks, oddly enough,
like load of small logs!
The flesh of the sturgeon, as is well
I'm 10 fbo,, nd nd
as much depends on its right prepare
ton for the table, we took some pains
to inquire how it is cooked by the wives
of the fishermen themselves, who ought
to know as well as anybody, seeing that
it constitutes q staple article of their
diet. From several methods recon-
mended, we give the two that seem the
most promising:
The first method is to cut the flesh
into slices and parboil them to get rid
of the superhuous oil, and then fry them
in thin batter.
The second method is to cut up the
meat. into squares two inches thick,
which are to be thoroughly boiled, and
then picked for two days in spiced vim
egar, after which they are ready for
eating, and are considered excellent by
the fishermen.
The usual way of preparing sturgeon
for market, however, is by smoking.
Strips an inch or two thick are put
through a picking process, then hung
on hooks over a slow fire of cOrn-cObs
or sawdust of hard wood. After thus
smoking for single night they are
ready to be shipped to any part of the
country.
The preparation of caviare is an i'm
portant part of the business. While
this is not yet in as general use in this
country as in Russia and other parts of
Europe, where it is so highly esteemed
that no repast is served without it, it is
coming into favor, especially in the
Western and Southern States. There
are two sorts of caviare, the soft and the
hard; the latter being worth about
twice as much as the former. The
value of the best hard caviare, in the
South, early in the spring, is said to be
from fifteen to twenty cents a'pound.
In order to make the best article it is
necessary to strip the roe from the stur-
geon as soon as possible after the fish
has been caught. Before being dried it
Is rubbed through coarse sieve to
break the eggs apart and to free them
from membranous tissue. Next the roe
Is thoroughly sailed, after which it
stands certain length of time. Then
it is emptied into fine sieves, where it
remains till it is so dry as to roll like
shot. The finished cayiare is packed
into casks previously lined with napkin
linen, each layer being sailed with fine
table salt. Each key holds about $50
pounds. With proper care the caviare
may be kept for year or longer. For
the trade it is often canned like fruit, in
which condition it will stand transport
tation to warm countries, and will keep
an indefinite length of time. 1t may be
eaten as put up without further prepar-
alton, though it is thought to be i'm
proved in flavor by the addition of a lit
tie vinegar or lemon juice. Pressed
. caviare is q favorite with Russian SOL
diers, who are said to take liberal sup
ply in their knapsacks whenever they
are going on long march. Improve
ments might be made, no doubt, in the
preparation of American caviare, and
the subject is worthy of receiving the
especial attention of packers.-H O
Hovey, in Scientific american.