10 THE SALTING OF FISH. 



one-sixth full with 100° pickle (saturated salt solution). As the fish 

 are placed in the tanks salt is scattered over each layer. Each day 

 the fish are roused (stirred up) with large paddles and more salt is 

 added, usually in sufficient quantity to make the pickle saturated 

 (100°) ; but the procedure varies in the different plants. Some fish 

 salters (those in the vicinity of Irvington) keep their brine at 70 

 per cent saturation (70°). Even if the brine used at the start is 

 saturated, by the following morning, when the fish are stirred for 

 the first time, the pickle is not stronger than 60°. If a very large 

 excess of salt is added when the fish are put in, this lowering of the 

 concentration of the salt solution may be obviated to a considerable 

 extent; but, as the fish are immersed loosely in a large excess of 

 pickle, there is a tendency for the salt to sink to the bottom of the 

 vat. As a result the pickle on top is always below saturation, 

 whereas the bottom layers are saturated, or very nearly so. 



At the end of from 7 to 10 days the fish are scooped out of the 

 vats and hauled to a draining floor, where they are placed loosely in 

 piles about 18 inches deep. They are allowed to drain and dry for 

 three or four days. Then the salted river herring are packed tightly 

 in layers in barrels, and a quart of Turks Island salt is scattered 

 between each two layers of fish. No brine is added to these barrels, 

 as the fish are sold dry. It is to be noted that in this region brine is 

 added to the fish when they are salted, and after salting they are 

 sold dry; whereas in Gloucester the alewives are salted with dry 

 salt, without the addition of brine, and are sold in brine (pickle). 



EDEKTON, N. C. 



Most of the fish salted in this region are river herring, or alewives. 

 Most of the fishermen salt their own catches of fish. The fish-salting 

 plants are, therefore, small, even smaller than tliose in the vicinity 

 of Reedville. The season here is also short, usually lasting about 

 six weeks. 



In this region greater care is taken to wash the cut (cleaned) fish 

 more perfectly. As a result, the salt river herring produced is of a 

 little better quality than that produced elsewhere. The fish are mixed 

 with salt with shovels and are shoveled into butts without any par- 

 ticular packing. They are allowed to remain in the butts from 8 to 

 12 days, after which they are piled on the floor to dry and drain for 

 three or four days, in the same way that they are handled at Reed- 

 ville. They are then packed tightly in barrels. About a quart of 

 Turks Island salt is scattered over each layer of fish; no brine is 

 added. 



HAVRE DE GRACE, MD. 



In Havre de Grace practically the identical procedure is followed 

 in salting fish as in Reedville, Va. Aside from one plant, in which 

 some fish are salted by a modified " Scotch " method, there are no 

 important differences from the Reedville method. This modified 

 " Scotch " method involves the salting of the round (uncut) alewives 

 with dry salt. The fish are packed tightly in barrels, covered, and 

 allowed to develop their own pickle. This method is similar to the 

 one followed at Boothbay Harbor. However, at Boothbay Harbor 



