64 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XIII, 



grinding stone or emery wheel and good carborundum hones. For 

 cutting slices of large fish a guillotine slicer capable of being set 

 to cut different thicknesses, is essential ; when cut by hand not 

 only is the labour considerable but the slices are certain to diifer 

 in thickness from one another and even in parts of the same slice ; 

 this leads to serious irregularity in the salting and drying (thin 

 slices or parts being over and thick ones under salted or dried) 

 while the packing of the cans is uneven and unsightly. The 

 guillotine slicer cuts every slice of similar and even thickness as 

 determined according to the depth of the can. 



57. The 'grilles' in which the brined fish are placed are 

 baskets of steel wire either tinned — which is preferable — or galva- 

 nized ; they should not be of plain steel which rusts and discolours 

 the fish. These grilles are so made that when horizontal the fish 

 (sardines or mackerel) rest tails upward, on sloping wire parti- 

 tions ; draining is thus facilitated while the air circulates around 

 and among the fish, rapidly drying off all extraneous moisture 

 and slightly drying the tissues also. The fish when taken from 

 the brine tubs are placed in these grilles which support them 

 during both drying and the subsequent frying or steaming. Grilles 

 sufficient for two days' work should be provided, since the grilles 

 used on one day have to be cleaned. Grilles must be kept 

 perfectly clean, and should immediately after use be boiled in 

 water containing a small quantity of (caustic) soda so as to cleanse 

 them of oil ; soda ash may also be used, but is not so efficacious as 

 caustic soda. After boiling, the grilles should be washed in fresh 

 water and thoroughly and rapidly dried to prevent rust. 



58. The drying ground is fitted either with a series of bamboo or 

 other scaffolds from which the grilles are hung, or with open work 

 tables (flakes) made of bamboo or wooden supports with cross 

 pieces of wood or bamboo a few inches apart on which the grilles 

 are placed so that the air circulates above and below and amongst 

 the grilles ; there may be both scaffolds and flakes on the same 

 area, so as to economise space. If a drying room is used, which 

 is necessary in rainy weather or at evening, drying is more costly 

 and complicated, necessitating stoves or steam pipes with free or 

 induced ventilation, or drying closets with a fan (preferably 

 exhaust). Whatever form is used there must be provision (usually 

 a fan or louvre ventilators and windows) for removing the moisture 

 laden air; otherwise the fish will not dry. A stove so arranged 



