134 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
then 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 the fish over and make the cut on the other side. The belly 
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, 
When bellies are cut, the backs are saved and either dried in the 
open air, without salt, or else pickled. 
With 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, the 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 dry-salted dog salmon became an important industry, bat 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 salmon 
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 are 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 
