262 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



and 5 feet deep. Most factories use for this purpose tlie bins used in 

 cooking before the adoption of the steam cooker. One factory has a 

 total of 52 tanks for draining the fish. 



The oil and water draining from the cooked fish is pumped or 

 led off through j)ipes or troughs into the oil room, Avhere it is received 

 into large vats. After draining for ten or twelve hours, the mass of 

 cooked fish is forked out of the tanks and thrown into cui'bs for 

 pressing. 



The curbs are of various designs. The most common form is a cylin- 

 drical tub with a hinged liottom firmly attached to axles, which are 

 provided with wheels so as to run on a tramwa3^ The staves are 

 made of metal slats and are held together by stout bands. They are 

 set at a convenient distance apart to allow the oil and water to pass 

 through, and increase in width from the center to the bottom enough 

 to overcome the enlargement of the opening between the slats conse- 

 quent upon their outward slant. This outward slant commences at 

 about the middle of the curb and extends to the lower end, and its 

 effect is to give the curb an increasing diameter as the bottom is 

 approached, so that the hard cake remaining after pressure is relaxed 

 can be readily forced out at the bottom. Through the center of the 

 curb runs a hollow core, stoutly constructed of metal slats. The bot- 

 tom is attached by means of hinges to the lower end of braces, which 

 are firmly fastened to the lower band of the curb, the axle, and the 

 middle band. The opposite side of the bottom is suspended by means 

 of latches which are caught and held by a bolt sliding freely within 

 the braces and actuated by a lever pivoted upon the axles. The axles 

 are also braced by stays on either side of the tub, which pass from one 

 axle to the other, and, being curved to fit closely to a section of a 

 band, are firmly attached thereto. The capacity of each curb is about 

 7 barrels. A metal shield surrounds it to protect tlie workmen from 

 the spattering oil and water when pressure is applied. 



The curb, having been filled with cooked fish, is run along the rail 

 and placed under a solid stationary head made to fit closel}^ inside the 

 curb and against which the fish are pressed as the curb is slowl^^ raised 

 by a powerful hydraulic press. This forces out most of the remaining 

 oil and water, which exudes from between the slats, and by means of 

 troughs and pipes is conveyed to the oil room. On relaxing the pres- 

 sure the curb resumes its position on the railway and is moved from 

 the press stand and the core removed; the bottom is swung out of the 

 way, and the hard cake remaining in the tub is forced through the 

 bottom, falling into receptacles underneath. 



Under ordinary conditions from 5 .to 7 per cent of the oil is left in 

 the pressed fish, it being difficult to remove all the oil and water, 

 owing to the gelatinous or gluey state of the fish as a result of the 

 cooking. In some factories the chum or pressed fish is waslied with 

 hot water and then repressed, but this is scarcely profitable if the first 



