﻿458 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  returns, 
  they 
  are 
  taken 
  out 
  and 
  put 
  in 
  tubs 
  of 
  salt 
  water 
  to 
  be 
  fresh- 
  

   ened 
  or 
  " 
  soaked 
  out." 
  Newfoundland 
  and 
  Magdalen 
  herring, 
  which 
  

   are 
  heavily 
  salted 
  on 
  board 
  the 
  vessel 
  when 
  caught, 
  invariably 
  require 
  

   to 
  be 
  treated 
  in 
  this 
  manner 
  before 
  being 
  smoked. 
  Generally 
  about 
  

   four 
  tubs 
  of 
  water 
  are 
  used, 
  which 
  are 
  in 
  succession 
  filled 
  with 
  fish. 
  

   As 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  last 
  tub 
  is 
  filled 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  taken 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  one, 
  

   and 
  then 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  others 
  in 
  regular 
  order, 
  each 
  tub 
  being 
  at 
  once 
  

   refilled 
  with 
  other 
  fish, 
  and 
  this 
  process 
  is 
  continued 
  until 
  all 
  the 
  over- 
  

   salted 
  fish 
  have 
  passed 
  through 
  the 
  water, 
  remaining 
  there 
  only 
  long 
  

   enough 
  to 
  secure 
  the 
  desired 
  result. 
  If 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  fish 
  is 
  large 
  the 
  

   water 
  in 
  the 
  tubs 
  is 
  changed 
  whenever 
  requisite. 
  It 
  is 
  customary 
  to 
  use 
  

   salt 
  water 
  for 
  nearly 
  all 
  purposes. 
  The 
  fishermen 
  and 
  smokers 
  claim 
  

   that 
  fresh 
  water 
  has 
  a 
  tendency 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  gills 
  of 
  the 
  herring 
  tender, 
  

   and 
  more 
  liable 
  to 
  break 
  and 
  allow 
  the 
  fish 
  to 
  fall 
  from 
  the 
  sticks 
  after 
  

   being 
  hung 
  in 
  the 
  smoke-house. 
  They 
  also 
  think 
  that 
  the 
  salt 
  water 
  

   makes 
  the 
  flesh 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  more 
  firm 
  and 
  not 
  so 
  apt 
  to 
  become 
  soft 
  after 
  

   being 
  smoked. 
  The 
  salting 
  sheds 
  are, 
  therefore, 
  sometimes 
  furnished 
  

   with 
  steam 
  pumps 
  for 
  obtaining 
  the 
  necessary 
  supply 
  of 
  salt 
  water. 
  

  

  Herring 
  are 
  also 
  salted 
  in 
  considerable 
  quantities, 
  in 
  both 
  a 
  round 
  

   and 
  split 
  condition, 
  to 
  be 
  packed 
  in 
  barrels. 
  In 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  i)ickling 
  

   them 
  for 
  this 
  purpose 
  more 
  salt 
  is 
  used 
  and 
  they 
  require 
  to 
  remain 
  a 
  

   longer 
  time 
  in 
  the 
  pickle. 
  When 
  salted 
  round, 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  put 
  into 
  the 
  

   tank 
  in 
  thin 
  layers, 
  each 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  coarse 
  salt, 
  

   the 
  quantity 
  of 
  salt 
  being 
  increased 
  toward 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  tank 
  until 
  

   the 
  last 
  layer 
  is 
  about 
  2 
  bushels. 
  The 
  quantity 
  of 
  salt 
  required 
  to 
  each 
  

   tank 
  of 
  fish 
  is 
  10 
  bushels 
  or 
  more. 
  They 
  are 
  then 
  allowed 
  to 
  remain 
  in 
  

   the 
  pickle 
  from 
  6 
  to 
  10 
  days. 
  If 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  split 
  before 
  being 
  

   salted, 
  they 
  are 
  first 
  put 
  into 
  the 
  tanks 
  in 
  pickle 
  round, 
  and 
  are 
  then 
  

   taken 
  out 
  almost 
  immediately 
  and 
  laid 
  on 
  the 
  tables 
  to 
  be 
  split 
  or 
  

   dressed. 
  They 
  are 
  split 
  down 
  the 
  belly, 
  gilleQ, 
  and 
  eviscerated. 
  The 
  

   heads 
  and 
  tails 
  are 
  not 
  removed 
  and 
  the 
  roes 
  are 
  left 
  in. 
  They 
  are 
  

   then 
  washed 
  in 
  salt 
  water 
  and 
  returned 
  to 
  the 
  tanks 
  in 
  strong 
  pickle. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  layer 
  is 
  about 
  2 
  hogsheads, 
  after 
  which 
  about 
  2 
  barrels 
  are 
  

   put 
  in 
  at 
  a 
  time, 
  and 
  each 
  layer 
  is 
  well 
  covered 
  with 
  salt. 
  The 
  fish 
  are 
  

   allowed 
  to 
  stand 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  days 
  and 
  are 
  then 
  stirred 
  with 
  a 
  spudger, 
  

   an 
  implement 
  made 
  of 
  a 
  thick 
  piece 
  of 
  board 
  a 
  few 
  inches 
  wide 
  and 
  

   about 
  10 
  inches 
  long 
  and 
  nailed 
  in 
  the 
  center 
  to 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  a 
  wooden 
  

   handle. 
  After 
  being 
  "broken 
  up" 
  they 
  are 
  given 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  salt 
  and 
  

   allowed 
  to 
  stand 
  about 
  five 
  days 
  longer. 
  While 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  being 
  

   cured 
  the 
  pickle 
  is 
  closely 
  watched, 
  and 
  whenever 
  necessary 
  more 
  salt 
  

   is 
  added 
  to 
  keep 
  it 
  "sweet" 
  or 
  in 
  good 
  condition. 
  Great 
  care 
  is 
  taken 
  

   to 
  keep 
  the 
  fish 
  completely 
  submerged 
  with 
  pickle. 
  Boards 
  supporting 
  

   heavy 
  weights 
  are 
  frequently 
  laid 
  on 
  them 
  for 
  that 
  purpose. 
  The 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  salt 
  required 
  for 
  split 
  herring 
  does 
  not 
  differ 
  materially 
  

   from 
  that 
  used 
  when 
  pickling 
  them 
  in 
  a 
  round 
  condition. 
  After 
  the 
  

   fish 
  are 
  thoroughly 
  cured 
  they 
  are 
  taken 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  tanks 
  and 
  packed 
  

   in 
  barrels 
  for 
  shipment. 
  

  

  