PACIFIC SALMON FISHERIES. 139 
UTILIZING SALMON EGGS AND MELT. 
Every year immense quantities of salmon eggs are thrown away in 
the fisheries of the west coast, though t ere is but little doubt that, 
if properly prepared, a market could in time be found for this now 
waste part of the fish. In France there is a good market for a 
product known as “‘rogue,’’ which is the sau of cod, haddock, 
hake, and pollock, salted in casks, and which is used as bait in the 
sardine fisheries. Salmon spawn is the choicest and most successful 
bait used on this coast, and if properly prepared would undoubtedly 
answer the purpose as well as the regular “‘rogue’’ if not better, 
owing to iis oiliness and attractive color. The roes should be soaked 
for some cays in old brine and then packed in strong casks holding 
about 25 gallons each. It might also prove to be a good bait for 
toll.ng :1ackerel on the Atlantic coast. 
In 19 0 a considerable quantity of salmon roe was prepared in 
Siberia 1nd sold in competition with caviar, which is prepared from 
sturgec eggs. The product met with favor in Europe and now large 
quant. 3 are prepared each season. 
Ty —__, country Miss Ida Tuholski, of San Francisco, who had been 
en; 43, im the peepee ation of sturgeon caviar for some years, put up 
anu r of sample lots of salmon caviar which are fully the equal 
of the «st sturgeon caviar. Capital has been chary, however, about 
engagiieg in the business, although undoubtedly it will be an impor- 
tant 1 dustry some day. 
Fo ‘making caviar the eggs should be as fresh as possible, and 
in o. * to make sure of this the salmon are taken alive, if possible, 
short after coming from the water, killed and bled, the belly 
opened up and the roe taken out. This work can best be done 
on work and living scows anchored close to the fishing camps. 
The roe i placed upon a stand, the top of which is formed of a 
small-meshed galvanized-iron wire screen. On the underside is 
arranged a zinc-lined trough. The operator gently rubs the mass of 
eggs back and forth over the screen, the mesh of which is just large 
enough to let the eggs drop through, and, as they are separated from 
the membrane by the rubbing, they fall through into the trough and 
are thence drawn off into tubs by means of a sliding door at the end 
of the trough. 
Aft’ al. the roe has been separated the tub is removed and a cer- 
tain portion of salt (the sturgeon caviar makers employ the best 
Luneb irg, Germany, salt in this work, while some of the Siberian 
makers of salmon caviar use No. 2 Berkshire salt from England) is 
added to the roe, after which the mass is mixed with the hands. 
The most delicate part of the whole operation is in the manner of 
mixing. No direct rule can be given for doing this portion of the 
work, as the condition of the roe regulates the time consumed and 
the manner of handling. It requires practical experience to become 
proficient, but this should be an easy matter for one used to handling 
salted products. The sturgeon caviar makers use about 11 pounds 
of salt in preparing a keg of caviar. 
_ After the salt has been added the mass of eggs first dries up, but 
in a few minutes the strength of the salt draws from the eggs their 
watery constituents and a copious brine is formed, which can be 
poured off when the tub becomes too full. In Siberia the caviar 
