512 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



tiou in all tbe different canneries, but the next, or drying process, is managed differently in differ- 

 ent places. The object is simply to remove the moisture from the herring before placing it in the 

 oil. The prompt drying of the fish is a matter of great importance, and in the moist atmosphere 

 of Eastport it is a much more difficult operation than in France. The small herring, being so deli- 

 cate, require considerable attention during the drying process, and unless great care is taken they 

 soon begin to decompose ; and experience proves that if they remain until the first stages of decom- 

 position begin, the oily matter of the fish will turn rancid and destroy the flavor of the oil in which 

 they are packed. 



The most desirable method for drying is to place the fish in the sunlight in the open air, where 

 the moisture readily evaporates in a few hours ; but, on account of the prevalence of fogs and the 

 great humidity of the atmosphere in the region where the sardine industry is prosecuted, drying 

 in the open air cannot be depended upon. When the weather is unfavorable for sun drying the 

 moisture must be removed by artificial heat. 



Drying rooms are usually located on the second floor or near the roof of the cannery, with 

 racks arranged for holding the "flakes" obliquely, so that the moisture will readily drain from the 

 fish. The racks in which the " flakes" are inserted are movable skeletons or frames, so constructed 

 as to hold forty to fii'ty " flakes " each, these being placed about 3 inches apart and directly over each 

 other. The room is supplied with a constant current of warm, dry air, which is brought from 

 stoves or furnaces in the lower part of the building by means of large pipes, and after passing up- 

 ward among the fish is allowed to escape through a ventilator in the roof. It usually requires 

 twelve to twenty-four hours to dry the herring in this way under favorable circumstances. Dur- 

 ing the dampest weather a considerably longer time is required, and the fish frequently spoil in 

 the process, while their flavor is often greatly injured and they are rendered nearly worthless. 



To overcome this difficulty a number of different plans have been resorted to. One company 

 has secured a large patent fruit drier, in which the "flakes" of herring are placed. The hot air is 

 carried through a long pipe from the furnace room to near the roof, where it terminates in a funnel- 

 shaped opening situated just above the top of the fruit drier. The drier, or box, as it might be 

 called, is a tight compartment, about 4 feet square, extending from the ground floor to the top of 

 the building. It contains a series of endless chains, with cleats at regular intervals of 3 or 4 inches. 

 The chains are made to revolve slowly by means of machinery, and the flakes, after being covered 

 with fish, are put in at the bottom and carried slowly upward, being taken out a half an hour later 

 at the top. The hot air from the pipes is drawn down through the box and carried away by means 

 of large fans worked by machinery, the temperature of the current being regulated by means of 

 dampers in the air pipe. 



In the fall of 1879 Eastport parties decided to construct a large oven in which to dry the sar- 

 dines. A description of this, in the Eastport Sentinel of December 10, 1879, is as follows: 



" The oven is 18 feet high, 14 feet wide, and 16 feet deep, with walls from 2 to 2i feet in thick- 

 ness. Its capacity to retain heat, which can be raised to above 600 Fahrenheit, is such that it will 

 bake articles thoroughly two days after all fire has been withdrawn from the furnace. The whole 

 is inclosed by a two-story building, the lower part of which is used as a boiler and furnace room, 

 while in the upper story the process of preparing the fish is carried on. The flues and dampers 

 are constructed to regulate the fire and heat to a nicety, and the heat can be reduced or increased 

 more than 200 in a few minutes, according to the requirements. The machinery consists of eight 

 skeleton iron frames attached to a cylinder, and remaining in a horizontal position while revolving 

 in the oven. Notwithstanding the ponderous weight of the machinery, it works so accurately that, 

 although arranged for steam-power, it may be revolved by a mere boy without difficulty." 



