418 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



the smoking the fish has been in brine for some time ; while hot-smoking 

 produces a fresh smoked and cooked fish, which is salted very little, 

 and in which the flavor of salt can scarcely be discerned. 



In America, England, Holland, and Russia cold-smoking is generally 

 employed for herring, salmon, haddock, and halibut. In Germany and 

 in some parts of Sweden this method is employed only for salmon. As 

 far as is known, hot-smoking is used in Germany, Sweden, and Den- 

 mark for all other fish. 



As a general rule, an old-fashioned open chimney can be used for hot 

 smoking by arranging the poles on which the fish are hung 3 or 4 feet 

 above the fireplace. These chimneys, however, have nearly everywhere 

 gone out of fashion ; and for this reason the arrangement of the com- 

 mon Danish smoke-houses will be described. 



The following description of a smoke-house on the island of Thuro, 

 near Svendborg, is given by the owner, Chr. Julius Nielsen: 



" The house has strong fireproof walls ; its length is 12 and its breadth 

 8 yards. One-half is occupied by the packing-room and office, and the 

 other half forms a single room with a concrete floor. At the gable-end 

 there is a chimney in which the fish are smoked. This chimney is 17 

 yards high and 4 yards square, and along its entire height is divided 

 by a wall Into two smoke-rooms. In each of these, two rows of herring- 

 can be hung, each row containing 850 large herring ; but as a general 

 rule, in order to prevent the fat from dripping from the upper upon the 

 lower, only one row is suspended. For smoking, beech or oak is used, 

 split fine in pieces about a yard long, or oak or beech shavings from 

 shipyards; but common shavings are not so good. The expense of 

 smoking and packing is about 8 cents per 80 herring. Below the chim- 

 ney has two iron doors, one for each smoke-room." 



The following description of a smoke-house at Masnedsund is given 

 by the owner, P. H. Lohmann : 



" The oven, with the fireplace below, is 6 feet broad, 5£ feet high, and 

 3 feet deep. In front there are iron doors. There is room in the oven 

 for three rows of poles ; the distance from the fire to the lowest row 

 is 3£ feet, and the distance between the rows 14 inches. At the top the 

 oven can be closed by a lid, which opens outside, toward the back wall 

 of the chimney. The chimney projects about a foot beyond the front of 

 the oven, and therefore forms an opening for the escape of the super- 

 fluous smoke. The oven is about 6 feet high, and grows narrower 

 toward the top, which is about 1 foot in diameter. The chimney is held 

 together by a strong iron bar. When the fish have been dried in the air, 

 smoking may be done on all three irons, therefore in three rows. The 

 lid at the top is then kept closed. If, however, the oven is to be used 

 for drying, the two upper rows are used for this purpose ; and in that 

 case'the lid must remain open, and the opening is covered by bags or 

 pieces of board. Gradually, as the two lower rows have been smoked, 

 the two upper ones are put a row further down, and a new row is hung 



