BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 421 



to hang one night to cool off, and are in the morning packed in boxes 

 holding 80 fish each." 



In establishing a small smoke-house it will be sufficient to build 

 about 8 yards of the west end with two ovens and make the house a 

 little broader. The western chimney will then come to stand above the 

 oven. The floor of the smoke-house should be solid, and it is best to 

 have it made of concrete. First a bed of common stones about as large 

 as a hand is made and well rammed down ; and on the top of this, mor- 

 tar (one part Portland cement and two parts gravel) is spread. 



We give in conclusion a description of a haddock smoke-house in 

 Grimsby, England, where the cold-smoking method is employed. The 

 chimneys go through the entire building, and have only one door below 

 and a window at the top. These chimneys are deeper than they are 

 broad. They should not be too broad for a man to span them with his 

 legs. Along the sides are ledges which the man who hangs the fish 

 uses as steps, and upon which he places the poles on which the fish are 

 hung. The fire is made on the bare floor; and for fuel oak shavings 

 or shavings of other wood are used. The fish will keep according to 

 the degree to which they have been smoked. In Yarmouth, England, 

 herring are smoked and exported to India. For smoking, the haddock 

 are opened in the same manner as in Denmark we open the salmon, 

 and are packed in boxes. An English smoked haddock or herring is 

 best fried or broiled. A large quantity of these fish also is exported to 

 Hamburg. 



Regarding the manner in which the haddock are prepared for smok- 

 ing, a competent Norwegian authority says : 



First, the head is cut off, the entrails are taken out, and the fish is 

 well washed in tepid water. The abdominal cavity is well cleansed from 

 all blood with a stiff brush, and after this has been done the fish is split, 

 the backbone being left entire. After it has again been washed it is 

 placed in the brine-box, which has a double bottom, the upper bottom 

 being perforated, so that slime, &c, can gather. The haddock are left 

 in the strong brine for ten or fifteen minutes. They are then hung for 

 smoking on poles with hooks, which are arranged over a large fire which 

 is lighted on the floor. For fuel oak and pine shavings are used (some 

 writers state that peat also is used, but this is certain to impart a disa- 

 greeable flavor to the fish). During smoking the temperature is from 

 20 to 22° Celsius. The smoking process is completed in the course 

 of one night. In cold weather the fish will keep eight days. Well- 

 smoked haddock should be tender, and the inside should have a light, 

 yellow-brown color. In cold-smoking the fish should not hang lower 

 than 8 or 9 feet over the fireplace'. In America halibut are smoked 8 

 feet over the fire. The temperature of the smoke should be about 20° 

 Celsius. 



Finally, we must mention a very simple and exceedingly practical 

 method of smoking, which, though not to be recommended where smok- 



