Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-12-04
THE sARDlNE INDUSTRY.
a Business That Has slourishcd for Many
Years on the Brittany Coast.


Years on the Brittany Coast.
Apropos of the new regulations Just
issued by the French Government, tho
ReUae dcs Denr Mondes has published
an interesting account of the sardine
industry, which has so long flourished
on the coast OF Brittany. AS but little
is known about the true sardine, even
in Franco, and of course much less in
this country, our readers may like to
zee the facts.
When it reaches its full growth the
true sardine is little smaller than the
herringi at this stage it is fat, oily
and of a mediocre taste. 1t weighs be-
tween quarter and II third OF pound.
This fish, which on the coast OF Corn
wall is known rs the pilchard, and in
Brittany rs tho "wiutcr sardine," ap-
pears toward the close OF the cold sea-
son and vanishes by June. 1t is then
more than two years old. This sardine
is sailed, but never preserved in oil.
1t is the so-called summer sardine
which is fried in boiling oil, packed in
tin boxes, ana shipped all over the
world. This Is the Same fish a3 tho
pilchard or winter sardino, only it is a
year younger. 1t arrives off the Breton
coast in vast shoals during Juno, and
thenceforward until November it is
taken in nets, tho bait used being the
salted roe of the Goldfish or n minute
species of shrimp procured in the
neighborhood. Whittier it goes and
where it passes the cold season is un-
known, but it is believed to be a deep
water fish, which only in the months
mentioned comes TO the surface. This
is certain, however, that 1t Is met with
only nearly that section OF the Atlantic
coast of Europe which extends from
Cornwall to Portugal.
The sardine industry has OF late
years passed through severe crisis.
The take was small during the whole
period from 1880 to 1886, with the ex-
ception of the year 1888. In 1886 the
value Of the sardine in oil exported fell
TO 81, 100000, or less than half of what
II was seven years before. Last year,
on the other hand, was extremely
profitable TO the canning factories. al
though the prices paid for the fresh
sardines per thousand ranged from
sixty cents to ten dollars. The com
petition TO which the French manu-
facturers arc subjected comes not only
from the United States, where the fish
used is not the tIuo sardine, but also
from Portugal, whore the genuine fish
Is procurable and whore extensive can
ming establishments have been recent
ly inaugurated. Nevertheless, there
are certain French canners whose
trademarks are widely-known
and whose products everywhere
command prices relatively high.
Their control OF market is
probably due to the fact that they are
careful to employ nothing but veritable
olive oil OF superior quality. The
vast quantity OF cotton-seed oil annual
ly shipped from Alexandria to Mar
seilles raises the suspicion that some
French sardino Gamers may expose
themselves to the same charges that
havo been leveled at their American
rivals. At all events, it follows that
the exquisite flavor of certain French
product is owing partly to the quality
of the oil, and partly to tho fact that
only genuine sardines are usedI and
moreover, that they are washed, evis-
cerated and fried within IN hour or
two after they arc caught, No fish do
teriorates moro rapidly after removal
from tho water than the sardlne,
The French Government has recently
forbidden the use OF the large, capa-
cious and improved nets, by which
huge multitudes Of the summer sar-
dine could be drawn In at u stroke
This prohibition was issued In CON-
formity with tho wishes OF the Breton
fishermen, who nsoribe the crisis TO
which their industry has been subject
ed to the sweeping reduction of the
fish by tho new-fangled implements.
But as tho largo seines are employed
by their Portuguese competitors, the
French Gamers naturally protest
against this Interference OF tho state.
-s.----~s-~----
THE SECRET OF HEALTH,