PACIFIC SALM01<f FISHERIES. 133 



of the product that he abandoned further efforts in this line. A few 

 cohos are put up each year. 



The principal consumers of the mild-cured salmon are the smokers, 

 who take them from the tierce, wash and soak them for a few 

 minutes, and then have a practically fresh fish to smoke, and not, 

 as in the days when hard-pickled salmon were used, one that had lost 

 most of its oil and flavor through the excessive amount of salt needed 

 to preserve it. 



The greater part of the product put up on this coast goes to 

 Europe, Germany being the principal consumer, but considerable 

 quantities are sold in Xorway, Sweden, and other countries, while 

 tne smokers of the cities east of the Rocky Mountains use large 

 quantities every year. 



In Germany, the principal market for mild-cured salmon, nearly 

 all of the fish are smoked. One of the most popular ways of using 

 the smoked salmon is in the making of sanclwiches, and probably 

 the greater portion of these are used in the beer halls and the auto- 

 matic restaurants in that country. 



PICKLING. 



The earliest method of preserving salmon on the coast was by 

 pickling. At times this industry attained to large proportions, but 

 during the last 10 years it has been declining, largely because the 

 canners are able to pay more for the raw fish than the salters. All 

 species of salmon are pickled . but the most popular is the red salmon. 



In dressing salmon for pickling the head is removed, the fish 

 split along the back, the cut ending with a downward curve on the 

 tail. The viscera and two-thirds ol the backbone are removed, and 

 the blood, gurry, and black stomach membrane scraped away. The 

 fish are then thoroughly scrubbed and washed in cokl water. They 

 are next placed in picklmg butts with about 15 pounds of half-ground 

 salt to every 100 pounds of fish. The fish should be laid in a Her, 

 flesh side up, and the salt well sprinkled over it, repeating until the 

 tank is full. Several boards are then laid across the fish and these 

 are weighted down with large stones in order to keep the fish sub- 

 merged in the pickle which will form. The fish remain here about 

 one week, the brine being held at about 90°. They are then removed, 

 rubbed clean with a scrub brush, and repacked in market barrels, 

 one sack of salt being used to every three barrels of 200 pounds each. 

 About 40 to 52 red salmon, 25 to 35 coho salmon, 70 to 80 humpback 

 salmon, 10 to 14 king salmon, and 25 to 30 dog salmon are required 

 in packing a barrel of pickled salmon. 



A few salteries also pack "bellies." This product is merely the 

 bellv of the fish, which is the fattest portion, and as most of the 

 packers threw awav the rest of the fish, thus causing a very large 

 waste of choice food, this method has come under the ban of the law 

 in some of the coast States and in Alaska. As a result, but few 

 "bellies" are packed now, and most of these only when some economic 

 use is made of the remainder. Humpback salmon furnish the major 

 part of the "belly" pack. 



In preparing salmon bellies, the operator first cuts off the two 

 pectoral fins, and them removes the head, care being taken to follow 

 the curve of the body until the backbone is reached, which should 



