﻿460 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  bloaters 
  the 
  amount 
  would 
  have 
  been 
  $7,592, 
  which 
  is 
  considerably 
  

   more 
  than 
  was 
  actually 
  paid, 
  as 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  was 
  done 
  by 
  fisher- 
  

   men. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  stringers 
  employed 
  being 
  271, 
  the 
  average 
  amount 
  

   of 
  wages 
  received 
  by 
  each 
  was, 
  therefore, 
  less 
  than 
  $28. 
  

  

  Draining 
  arid 
  drying. 
  — 
  After 
  the 
  herring 
  have 
  been 
  strung 
  on 
  the 
  

   sticks 
  they 
  are 
  washed 
  in 
  a 
  trough 
  of 
  clean 
  salt 
  water 
  and 
  hung 
  on 
  the 
  

   herriug 
  horses. 
  They 
  are 
  then 
  carried 
  out 
  into 
  the 
  open 
  air, 
  where 
  they 
  

   are 
  allowed 
  to 
  remain 
  until 
  the 
  water 
  drains 
  off 
  of 
  them 
  and 
  they 
  have 
  

   become 
  sufficiently 
  dry 
  to 
  hang 
  in 
  the 
  smoke-house. 
  The 
  time 
  required 
  

   for 
  drying 
  varies 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  weather, 
  but 
  is 
  

   usually 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  several 
  hours. 
  The 
  drying 
  not 
  only 
  hardens 
  the 
  

   gill- 
  covers 
  and 
  prevents 
  the 
  fish 
  from 
  falling 
  from 
  the 
  sticks 
  in 
  the 
  

   smoke-house, 
  but 
  it 
  also 
  improves 
  their 
  quality 
  when 
  smoked. 
  The 
  

   work 
  of 
  stringing 
  and 
  drying 
  the 
  herring 
  is 
  generally 
  done 
  in 
  the 
  fore 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  day 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  afternoon 
  they 
  are 
  hung 
  in 
  the 
  smoke-house. 
  

   If 
  the 
  weather 
  is 
  not 
  fine 
  it 
  is 
  sometimes 
  necessary 
  to 
  dry 
  the 
  fish 
  in 
  

   the 
  smoke-house, 
  after 
  leaving 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  open 
  air 
  long 
  enough 
  for 
  

   the 
  water 
  to 
  drain 
  from 
  them. 
  When 
  this 
  method 
  is 
  resorted 
  to 
  the 
  

   doors 
  and 
  windows 
  are 
  opened 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  free 
  circulation 
  of 
  air 
  and 
  fires 
  

   are 
  kept 
  burning 
  until 
  the 
  drying 
  is 
  completed. 
  

  

  Filling 
  the 
  smolce-house. 
  — 
  The 
  smoke-house 
  is 
  not 
  usually 
  filled 
  all 
  at 
  

   one 
  time, 
  and 
  it 
  often 
  happens 
  that 
  the 
  work 
  occupies 
  several 
  weeks. 
  

   The 
  herring 
  are 
  taken 
  care 
  of 
  as 
  fast 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  

   weirs, 
  the 
  time 
  required 
  to 
  fill 
  the 
  smoke-house 
  depending 
  somewhat 
  

   on 
  the 
  abundance 
  and 
  constancy 
  of 
  the 
  supi^ly. 
  If 
  the 
  supply 
  is 
  steady, 
  

   the 
  work 
  progresses 
  as 
  rapidly 
  as 
  herring 
  can 
  be 
  prepared 
  ; 
  otherwise 
  

   the 
  period 
  may 
  be 
  extended 
  to 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  weeks, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  longer. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  herring 
  have 
  been 
  sufficiently 
  dried 
  in 
  the 
  sun 
  they 
  are 
  

   carried 
  on 
  the 
  herring 
  horses 
  to 
  the 
  smoke-house, 
  where 
  the 
  sticks 
  are 
  

   placed 
  in 
  the 
  "bays," 
  their 
  ends 
  resting 
  on 
  the 
  scantlings 
  or 
  beams 
  on 
  

   either 
  side 
  of 
  each 
  "bay." 
  The 
  work 
  of 
  "hanging" 
  the 
  nerring 
  requires 
  

   the 
  services 
  of 
  at 
  least 
  two 
  men, 
  and 
  it 
  a 
  larger 
  number 
  are 
  engaged 
  

   in 
  it 
  they 
  work 
  in 
  pairs. 
  One 
  man 
  stands 
  in 
  the 
  "bay," 
  with 
  his 
  feet 
  

   on 
  the 
  beams, 
  while 
  the 
  other 
  stands 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  or 
  floor 
  and 
  hands 
  

   the 
  sticks 
  of 
  herring 
  up 
  to 
  him, 
  two 
  at 
  a 
  time, 
  keeping 
  the 
  sharp 
  end 
  

   of 
  the 
  stick 
  downward 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  herring 
  will 
  not 
  slip 
  off. 
  The 
  sticks 
  

   are 
  made 
  long 
  enough 
  to 
  reach 
  across 
  the 
  "bay" 
  and 
  to 
  nearly 
  the 
  

   center 
  of 
  the 
  beams 
  which 
  support 
  them 
  at 
  either 
  end. 
  

  

  The 
  lower 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  "bays" 
  is 
  usually 
  filled 
  first. 
  The 
  fires 
  are 
  

   then 
  kindled 
  and 
  the 
  herring 
  smoked 
  until 
  they 
  acquire 
  a 
  good 
  color. 
  

   When 
  this 
  is 
  effected 
  the 
  fires 
  are 
  allowed 
  to 
  go 
  down, 
  the 
  doors 
  and 
  

   ventilators 
  are 
  opened 
  to 
  let 
  out 
  the 
  smoke, 
  and 
  the 
  herring 
  are 
  shifted 
  

   to 
  a 
  place 
  nearer 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  smoke-house. 
  The 
  lower 
  part 
  is 
  then 
  

   ready 
  to 
  receive 
  another 
  lot 
  of 
  fish. 
  This 
  preliminary 
  smoking 
  occu 
  

   pies 
  from 
  about 
  twelve 
  to 
  fifteen 
  hours. 
  The 
  work 
  is 
  continued 
  in 
  this 
  

   manner 
  until 
  the 
  smoke-house 
  is 
  filled. 
  Two 
  smoke-houses 
  are 
  very 
  

   often 
  filled 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time. 
  In 
  that 
  case, 
  after 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  

  

  