The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-05-17
THE HERRING INDUSTRY
How "Sardines' are Canned in the ra.to.
ries of Eaatnart Nc

TERMINUS INDUSTRY
How "sardines' are Canned In the Facto.
ries of Eastport, Me.
American art was not the only thing
which received an impetus at the Cen
tennial Exhibition in 1876. II became
evident that we had to learn a great
deal about the food preparations deriv-
able from France, Norway, Sweden,
and even Spain. Fish products in end
less variety, all excellent, made no in
considerable portion of the foreign ex-
hlblts. 1t might take years of labor
before we could rival the Sevres por-
celain. but there could not be any such
trouble in regard to the preparation of
sardines. As there always has been
great deal OF enterprise in New Eng
land, 1t struck those interested in fish
cry products that there were WAYS of
preparing herring other than simply
sailing or smoking them. and at once,
copying in a certain measure the Scan
dlnavlan fashion, new industry had
its birth in Maine
Inc center of the canning of herrings
is found at Eastport, Maine, and here
at certain seasons very large business
Is done. The herrings are caught in
vast quantities by means OF seines, and
the smacks bring the fish into port AS
herrlngs are perishable, quick-sailing
vessels are necessary, so as to hurry
the catch into port A considerable
portion of the catch is put in barrels
for convenience in handling. AS soon
as the fish are landed they are at once
dumped on long tables, where they are
picked and cleaned. If the fish are
for canning. pains are taken that all the
herring shall be of size There are
particular seasons when the young her.
ring run. and these are best adapted
for canning, Hands become very ex-
pert, and great number of fish can be
picked and cleaned in the briefest
period of time. Sometimes mechanical
adJuncts of simple kind are used to
take off the scales and fins.
In some of the largest of these estab-
lishments. when fish are plenty, hun
dreds of women are employed. There
Is no mechanical process yet invented
which will fill the tins, and so fingers
must be used. In France. sardine cans
are packed so close with fish that not
another one can be put in. The rea-
son for this is not because the French
cannar iS q OanorO,,c mon hut f,>u H.
good reason that olive oil is worth
more than the sardines. In EastpOrt
factories the greatest cleanliness is
used. and the rooms are constantly
washed down. AS fast as the fish have
been cleaned and Quilted thoy are
brought into the canning-rooms. In
some canneries the fish are first thor
oughly cooked before being put into the
tins; then the cans are warmed anew
and sOldered. Certain factories cook
the product directly in the tins. 1t re-
quires great deal of skill to give the
herring their proper favorings. If
there is the least blunder in the me-
chanical part of the work. the spoil
ing of the product is the result,
as Immediately decomposition takes
place. A great many herrings are
smoked at Eastport and following
the methods employed for cod. bone
less herrings are made. These are put
on the market in glass boxes. There
are, however, some ways of putting up
the herring which England seems to
have the secret of. We have not yet
succeeded in converting American
smoked herring into the Yarmouth
bloater. Off the coast of California the
Cgupea sagar is found, and this is the
true European sardine. So far. no
advantage has been taken of the sar-
dine in American waters, but in the
time to come. when the Olive-tree shall
become more plentiful in California.
the sardine will find its proper accom-
paniment, which is olive oil, and not
cotton-seed oil.
Herring enter very largely into hui
man consumption, though to less de-
gree in the United States than in other
countries. AS nearly as can be esti-
mated, 100000 pounds of her.
ring are taken off the North Ameri-
can coast. The aggregate catch in
European waters is $50, 900. 900 pounds.