Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-28
THE SALT FISH CROP
THE VARIETY SMALL, BUT THE
TOTAL ENORMOUS.
A Great Advance Has Been Made In
the Methods of Preparing the
Fish for Use.
From the Fishing Gazette.

--~-~ NN~ N>~Sesos
The sailing of fish dates from time I'M
memorial. In our own country 1t began
with the first colonization, and has since
been one of the great industries of our
country.
Just when the first fish was sailed in
the world is fact that nobody knows
Enough is known. however, to enable US
to say that 1t was thousands of years ago.
We have records of codfishery of the
coast of Norway as early as the year 900
The engravings on the ancient Egyptian
monuments testify to the fishery Of the
ancients.
try in the temperate zone where fish
not sailed. 1t was probably not until the
fifteenth century that the consumption of
fish commenced on large scale by the
great middle class of people, at which time
1t ceased to be luxury. 1t is a we'll
known fact that in oiden times fish were
eaten principally by the richer class of
people,
The demand for salt fish in the United
states In the last quarter of a century has
shown a decline, due in the greatest meas
ure to the development of the fresh water
fisheries and the trade in using the pro-
ducts of the sea fisheries. During recent
years the growth Of the fresh water fish
cries has been large and has made incur
sions into the business of the sea fisheries,
both fresh and salt.
The vessels employed in the fisheries to-
day are larger, faster and better equipped
than ever before. The catch of salt cod
fish by the vessels of the United States the
last twenty-five years has increased from
75.OOO,OOO to 150,0O0,0OO pounds. The catch
by the vessels of the world, including the
fleets of Norway, Newfoundland France
and Canada, is estimated at 500, 900 900
pounds, the most of which is exported to
tropical countries. after being hard dried.
In this condition they keep until ready for
use, and are very desirable food in the
tropics. 1t is a light, palatabie food, and
best adapted to the climate Then, again,
the Latin church imposes so MANY fast
days that salt fish is always in demand
There Is not much information on the
subject OF the early manner of sailing
hsh, but there is no question but there has
been a great advance made in the methods
Of curing fish for market There are 100
or more varieties of food fish. Of these
only very small proportion are sailed in
large quantities for consumption by the
people. 1t is well known that in European
countries some varieties of fish are con-
sumed as food which in our own markets
are considered valueless. but even in our
own country there is a tendency, as the
more important varieties grow scarce to
consume fish which have been considered
unsuitable for food
The principal varieties of fish sailed are
the Goldfish. mackerel, herring, salmon. ale
wives, shad, trout, hake, haddock, cusk
and pollock. These varieties of fish proba-
Oily make up nine-tenths Of the salt fish
consumed by the people
The North Atlantic is probably richer.
both as to quantity and quality, with edi-
Bile fsh than any other division of the
globe waters, and it may be added that
where 1t washes the coast of North Amer
lea Is its richest subdivision.
The salt groundfish industry is located
principally in Massachusetts, where the
amount of Goldfish, hake, haddock, cusk
and pollock sailed in 1899 was 63, 100000
pounds.
The Goldfish is synonymous with the name
OF Massachusetts, and. using the eloquent
language of Representative Gallivan: "Pois-
ed high aloft in the hall of Massachusetts,
house of representatives, riding serenely
the sound waves of debate. unperturbed
by the ebb and flow of enactment and re-
peal, all the desultory storms that vexed
| the neither depths of oratory, there has
| hung through immemorial years an an
| cient Goldfish, quantity wrought in wood
and painted to the light. Humble the sub
Ject and homely the design, yet this paint
| ed Image bears on its finny front majesty
greater than the dignity that art can lend
| to craven gold or chiseled marble The
| sphere 1t fills is vaster than that through
| which Its prototype careered with all the
myriad tribes of the great deep. The les
| sons which may be learned from it are
nobler than any to be drawn from what is
only beautiful. For this sedate and solitary
| fish is instinct with memories and prophecy
| like an oracle. 1t celebrates the rise of
free institutions 1t emphasizes progress.
| 1t epitomizes Massachusetts,
1T typifes the world old simplicity of
| those who go down to the sea in ships the
| goodly, cody race, whom the stately scrip
| tural story has immortalized, whose stury
virtues the Savior himself distinguished
| In the choice of Peter, the apostolic fisher
| man, and whose singular achievements on
sea and land. in the arts. alike in peace
and war. have giorified the annals Of the
| commonwealth"
| While the Bank salt Goldfish fleet at many
| of the New England ports Is a thing of
| the past, there has been tendency to
| salt fresh fish to supply the demand The
business of catching fresh cod and had
| dock during the last fifteen years has been
| carried on energetically, with the result
| of periodical gluts on the market During
these gluts large quantities of fish have
| been split and sailed; if they happen to ar
| rive during the season for finnan haddies
| the haddock are smoked. The amount of
| this fish sailed or smoked during the year
| 1898 was. roundly. JO.OOO.oO0 pounds Thus
| a great salt fish trade has grown up sub
| sidiary to the fresh fish trade.
In the salt fish trade of the United States
| there is probably used in a year about
| 100000 quinta,s Of salt Goldfish, hake had
| dock, cusk and pollock. besides 100 600 bar
| rels Of salt mackerel and 100000 barrels
| of salt herring. The amount of smok-
| ed herring consumed aggregates 100000
| pounds. In addition to this there is good
| deal of picked salmon. shad and other fish
| of minor Importance.