The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-02-09

Nlne-tenths OF the sardlnes consumed
in the United States come from Name.
Very few of the real French fish are I'M
ported now. These Yankee sardines are
nothing but small herring put up in
boxes, with gaudy labels and French in
scuptions. In Eastport there are nine
teen places where they turn out sardlnes,
besides three at Lubec, two at Jones'
port, and one each at Millbridge, La
nome and Robblnston. In 1876 New
York firm did lucrative business pack
ing "Russian satdines" in Eastport
These were little herring packed in small
wooden kegs and preserved with spices
Of different kinds. 1t occurred TO one
member of the tlrri that these little fish
might be utilized to better advantage by
cooking them and packing them in olive
oil, like the French sardines. The expert
ment had been tried several years before
without success. The difficulty was to
eradicate the taste of the herring. 1t was
easy to cook the herring, pack them In
olive oil In tin cans, and seal them air
tight, but when they were opened they
had not the rich, spicy flavor of the regu-
ular French sardlnes. After great many
experiments, one Of the manufacturers
succeeded in producing mixture Of oils
and spices which removed the difficulty.
The herring used for making sardlnes
are about four inches long, and are taken
in great quantities along the Maine and
New Brunswick coast. They can be
bought of the fishermen for about 50
hogshead, although when the fish are
scarce, as they often are In the spring,
they bring as much al SIS a hogshead.
To catch the fish small, trees or brush are
thrust into the sandy bottom of the sea,
arranged in line running out from the
shore some 70 or 100 feet, and then curved
back like horseshoe. Inside this trap is
a net. When the tide Is falling the net ID
raised, and the fish are taken out with huge
scoop nets. The catch ls always very
Uncertain; sometimes only bushel OF two
will be taken. and often 80 many are
caught as to endanger the net.
There is another way OF capturing the
fish. Herring, like mackerel, go in
schools, and, for some reason, always fol-
low the light. Two or three fishermen
provide themselves with torches made of
cotton batting saturated with kerosene,
and on dark nights row along the shores
with torch In the bow of the boat. When
the school IS found the herring dart after
the boat, coming SO close that they are
dipped up in nets attached to short poles.
After being captured the fish are taken
Immediately to the factory and laid in
heaps upon lorg tables. The first thing is
to decapltate and clean the fish. The dex-
terity with which this operation Is per-
formed by the children who are employed
IS remarkable. On an average seventy
five fish are cleaned and decapltated every
minute by each child. Both. operations
are performed with one stroke of sharp
knife. A box holding about bushel lies
at the feet Of each operator aud as the
cleaning is completed the fish slide into
the box, The pay for this work Ii tep
cents per box, and some of the children
make dollar and half day.
After being washed the herring are
picked for half an hour, and are then laid
upon trays and placed in large drying
room heated by steam. After drying the
fish arc thrown into large, shallow pans of
boiling oil and thoroughly cooked. They
are then packed In tin boxes by girls and
women, and in each box is poured guam
tity Of the patent mixture os oils and
spices. Covers are then fitted to the
boxes and sealed on by men. AS air
must be excluded, the cans, when sealed,
are placed in tank OF boiling water when
they remain half an hour and are then re-
moved and placed on an inclined plane, 80
that the ar inside rushes to one corner of
the box. This corner Is punctured with
an awl, the hot air escapes, and the can
Is made alr-tight by drop Of solder. The
boxes are then Ornamented with attractive
French labels, stating that the inclosed are
"SardInes la Francaise;" some are la
beled "a phuile d'olivo." The oil used is
cotton-seed oil, such as is made in South
Carolina. 1t Is not always the best quality
of oil The best oil is used, however, for
the fish sold as prime"