134 U. S. BUREAU or FISHERIES. 



tlien be severed straight across. With the smaller salmon the fish is 

 then turned on its back, and the operator inserts his knife in the 

 body just above the backbone and cuts down through the body, the 

 knife coming out just in front of the vent. If properly done, the cut 

 will come close to the upper wall of the stomach. With large king 

 salmon it is sometimes necessary to make the cut first on one side, 

 then turn tlie fish over and make the cut on the other side. The l)el]y 

 is then laid flat on the cutting table and the membrane at one end 

 cut so the belly will lie flat. The bellies are then washed and salted 

 the same as hard-salted salmon. 



Wlien bellies are cut, the backs are saved and either dried in the 

 open air, without salt, or else pickled. 



AVith large kings, the operator, after the belly has been cut out, 

 scrapes the inside of the remainder of the carcass. The knife is then 

 inserted under the backbone at the end nearest the tail, and it is cut 

 away with as little flesh as possible adhering to it. The blood is 

 then scraped off, tlie fish thoroughly washed, and then salted the same 

 as the whole fish. 



Some of the old-time fishermen save parts of the salmon heads as 

 food. In this event, the head is split lengthwise clear to the bony 

 covering which protects the top of the head. The gill rakers are then 

 removed from each side of the split head, leaving the nutritious parts 

 intact. The cleaned heads are then salted down the same as whole 

 salmon. 



DRY SALTING. 



During the progress of the Russian-Japanese War the preparation 

 of drj^-salted dog salmon became an important industry, but as soon 

 as the Japanese fishermen resumed their former occupations the 

 demand fell off so much that the industry was virtually abandoned 

 in the United States, although a number of Japanese continue it in 

 British Columbia. The fish, after being dressed, were packed in 

 boxes, in salt, these boxes holding about 560 pounds of fish, and were 

 shipped in this condition to Japan. 



At a number of places in Alaska the bellies of red and coho sfdmon 

 are cut out and salted, after which the backs are dried in the sun 

 and, thus cured, are used for fox food at the numerous fox ranches. 

 This product is called "ukalu." 



SMOKING. 



The smoking of salmon is virtually a continuation of the pickling, 

 as the fish must be pickled before being smoked, the main purpos;' of 

 the pickling being to preserve them until the time arrives for smoking, 

 which may be weeks or months after the fish are caught. For smok- 

 ing the salmon are taken out of the barrel and soaked until as 

 much of the salt as possible is removed. They arc then put into the 

 smokehouse and subjected to the heat and smoke of a fairly hot fire 

 for about two days in order that they may be thoroughly dried and 

 hardened. Exposure to a smoldering fire (alder wood is a favorite 

 fuel) for about three days completes the process. 



For shipment smoked salmon are packed in wooden boxes, oil paper 

 being placed between the fish. 



In the manufacture of smoked salmon, the mild-cured product is 

 most in demand. The necessary quantity of sides is taken from the 



