CANNING SARDINES 69 
boring sardine canneries during the four canning seasons beginning 
in 1920. Methods in Maine were studied in 1922 and 1923, and in 
1924 experiments were made in Kastport. Assistance from without 
the bureau aided very materially in carrying on this research. Dur- 
ing a lapse in congressional support the California Fish and Game 
Commission met the total expense of the investigation upon changes 
in oil used for frying sardines and later contributed some toward 
the study of methods of preparing the fish. The cooperation fur- 
nished by the sardine canners was especially helpful. <A large part 
of the experimental work was carried out in their plants. In this 
respect the Seacoast Canning Co. (now the Seacoast Packing Cor- 
poration) and the Van Camp. Sea Food Co., both of East San Pedro, 
Calif., and the Blanchard Manufacturing & Canning Co., of East- 
port, Me., were most helpful. 
COMMERCIAL METHODS OF PREPARING THE FISH 
Inasmuch as this paper deals with research directed toward im- 
proving methods of preparing fish for canning as sardines, an outline 
is given here of the impor tant methods that have been and are now 
being used for this purpose. Since the methods of the California 
industry have never been described in detail, they will be described 
here. Some experimental data are included and discussed in this 
section in order to avoid having to repeat parts of the description in 
a later section. 
CALIFORNIA METHODS 
Sardines were first canned in California in 1890.5 Extensive 
development, however, did not take place until the World War 
period. The first big year was 1917, when the pack increased to 
over 1,190,000 cases from the previous high mark of 166,000 cases in 
1916. The pack remained at this high level for four years. In 
1921, however, post-war deflation had a disastrous effect on the 
industry, as shown in Table 1. Since then lost ground has been 
regained steadily, and in 1926 the industry’s largest pack was pre- 
pared 
TABLE 1.—Sardine pack of the United States, 1921-1926 






Maine California 
Year 
Cases ! Value Cases 2 Value 
GPA SEs ao a i eS ee eee 1, 399, 507 | $3, 960, 916 398, 668 $2, 346, 446 
LDP 22 la eS Bees PO RS ee ee aa ak a5 ae oe ee ee L 869, 719 5, 750, 109 715, 364 3, 361, 480 
i ee ee eee ADT 2, Daw. 5, 288, 865 1, 100, 162 4, 607, 931 
TE Rema BO Sa oe a es a Oe CR en See eh 1, 899, 925 7, 191, 026 1, 367, 139 5, 445, 573 
DAHL ae aie Dee BEE Se OEE eee eas 1, 870, 786 6, 716, 701 1, 714, 913 6, 380, 617 
CEG Ao el a a a ee rs en i oe 1, 717, 537 6, 727, 388 2, 093, 278 7, 807, 404 

1 Converted to standard basis of one hundred 14-pound cans per case. 
2 Converted to standard basis of forty-eight 1-pound oval cans per case. 
Sardine canning is confined to three localities, namely, Monterey, 
San Pedro and immediate vicinity, and San Diego. An idea of the 
relative importance of these districts and of the eeneral composition 


5 For a good history of the industry see: ‘‘ Historical Review of the Galineae Sardine ane fe ake 
Will F. Thompson. California Fish and Game, vol. 7, pp. 195-206. Sacramento, 1921. 
