METHODS OF DEEP-SEA FISHERIES 305 



for which the fish is being prepared. Some markets de- 

 mand fish with fifty per cent of the moisture removed; 

 others as high as sixty or seventy per cent. Fish that are 

 used in the preparation of boneless-fish require little drying, 

 perhaps eight or ten hours of a good day, while the fish 

 for export trade may require a week or ten days. Every 

 evening the fish are gathered together in small piles on the 

 flakes and covered by a box to prevent them absorbing 

 moisture from fog or rain. 



The loss in weight in dressing and curing fisH for the 

 market varies from fifty to sixty-five per cent, according 

 to the species, the time of year and the previous amount 

 of salting received. Haddock and cod lose the most, cusk 

 and hake the least. The following table shows the average 

 quantity of each kind of fish required to make a gross 

 quintal (114 pounds) of dried fish for the New England 

 markets : 



The cost of curing a quintal of dried fish varies with 

 the conditions of weather, the season of the year and 

 other circumstances; but it generally runs from 38 to 50 

 cents per quintal, of which 15 or 18 cents represents the 

 cost of salt. The value of the finished product varies like- 

 wise with the grade of the fish and the season of the year. 

 The cured cod sells at a higher price than hake, haddock, 



