556 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



narrowing the gap which now sej^arates the products of the two coun- 

 tries, appear to the writer to he chiefly as follows: (1) The methods 

 adopted in the French sardine fishery result in the landing of the fish in 

 excellent condition. This is the main object and is never lost sight of. 

 The fish are caught singly in a delicate mesh, removed by hand, care- 

 fully kept on board the boats so as to avoid crowding and mashing, 

 counted by hand into small baskets, taken to the factories within a few 

 hours after being caught, and promptly put through the preserving 

 process, so that ordinarily the deterioration which ensues is not worthy 

 of mention. (2) In France the sardines caught in the early part of 

 the season are not canned, because they are not in the best condition. 

 It is only after the fish have become fat that they are considered suit- 

 able for canning. The fattening depends on an abundance of proper 

 food, and along with it is an improvement in the flavor and general 

 quality of the flesh. 



While the young sea herring is an excellent fish, it may be admitted 

 that even when at its best its meat is inferior to that of the fq,t young 

 pilchard in richness. The latter has a peculiar flavor which, to a 

 considerable degree, is preserved in canning and which probably can 

 not be successfully imitated in the sea herring. However, the differ- 

 ence in flavor between the French and the American sardines on which 

 many persons lay much stress appears to the writer to be of only sec- 

 ondary importance. The taste for French sardines has been acquired 

 and perpetuated in the United States because of the long-continued 

 unsatisfactory quality of American sardines. The herring is naturally 

 no less wholesome than the pilchard. If it is caught for canning only 

 when in prime condition, and if, in the form of canned sardines, it 

 is placed on the markets with the minimum amount of deterioration 

 and with such adjuvants in the way of oil, spices, etc., as may be suit- 

 able, it should and will receive ample recognition at home, and meet 

 with a constantly increasing demand at prices that are now hardly 

 dreamed of. 



The history of a few canneries on our east coast during recent 

 years has shown that a very marked improvement in the quality of 

 American sardines is entirely practicable, and, furthermore, is highly 

 appreciated by consumers, as evidenced by the much higher prices they 

 are willing to pay and the steady demand beyond the capacity of the 

 factories. With regard to the sardines of the Pacific coast of the 

 United States, there is no reason why they should not, when properly 

 canned, prove equal to the French fish in every respect. The high 

 reputation which has been acquired by the comparatively small quanti- 

 ties packed in California during the past five or six years, and the ex- 

 cellent prices which they have commanded, argue well for the success 

 of an extensive business. 



