254 NEW ENGLAND FISHERIES 



fires are placed on the ground within the building, and the 

 fuel used may be ship-carpenters' chips, drift wood, or 

 birch. The interior arrangement consists of a series of 

 vertical rows of scantling two by four inches in thickness, 

 being about 38 inches apart laterally and fourteen inches 

 apart vertically. The only other equipment necessary is 

 a large supply of herring sticks. These are about one-half 

 an inch square and forty inches in length. 



When herring are brought to the smoke-house in a fresh 

 condition they are placed in butts containing brine in 

 order that the salt may strike in before the fish are smoked. 

 Newfoundland and Magdalen salt herring have to be 

 placed in tanks of fresh water in order to allow some of 

 the salt to soak out; sometimes it is necessary for the 

 fish to pass into several tanks before they are in the proper 

 condition. 



When the fresh herring have been properly salted and 

 the salt herring sufficiently freshened the process of string- 

 ing takes place. This consists of placing the herring upon 

 the herring sticks preparatory to hanging them up on the 

 scantlings in the smoke-house. Fish are strung by in- 

 serting the sharpened end of the herring stick under the 

 left gill and passing it through the mouth of the fish. 

 This operation is continued with other fish until the stick 

 is filled. Then the stick of fish is washed by being dipped 

 into a trough of clean water, is placed upon the herring 

 horses, and removed out of doors or to another part of 

 the building to dry for a few hours. After drying they 

 are ready for the smoke-house. 



It may require several weeks to fill a smoke-house, es- 

 pecially where the supply of fish comes from the weirs. 

 The herring when first placed in the smoke-house are put on 

 the lower rows of scantlings. Then after they have been 

 smoked for fifteen hours or so they are removed to the 

 upper parts of the house to remain until the house has 



