188 THE WEALTH OF THE SEA 



come very popular in America, the Scotch cure has 

 been introduced in Alaska, and nearly all of the her- 

 ring cured in that territory are packed according to 

 this process. 



As a result of the ease with which fresh fish can 

 be obtained, the consumption of salted cod in Amer- 

 ica has greatly decreased during recent years, but in 

 southern Europe and Latin America it is still very 

 popular. It may be purchased in all of the small in- 

 terior towns of semi-tropical Europe and Amer- 

 ica, and in many instances is the only fish offered for 

 sale. 



In the United States, where canned salmon and 

 other canned fish are cheap, the Salter of cod and 

 other ground-fish, such as haddock, hake, and pol- 

 lack, has been forced to improve the quality of his 

 product or quit business. This improvement has been 

 effected by the more careful selection of the fish to 

 be salted and by less drying of the salted fish. 



Visiting Gloucester, Massachusetts, and seeing this 

 ancient industry operating to-day on a big scale, 

 carries one back two centuries or more. Most of the 

 cod are still caught from dories on hand-lines or 

 trawl-lines. The fishermen sail to the banks in 

 schooners which resemble those used a century ago, 

 except that they are now equipped with auxiliary 

 gasoline engines. Once on the fishing grounds, the 

 fishermen leave the schooners and fish from their 

 dories. Most of the catches are eviscerated, iced, and 

 placed in the hold of the schooner. But when the 

 schooners are to be away from the home port for a 

 long time, the fish are split and lightly salted and 



