﻿462 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  Tlie 
  principal 
  grades, 
  exclusive 
  of 
  "bloaters," 
  are 
  the 
  "medium- 
  

   scaled," 
  "lengthwise," 
  and 
  "No. 
  1." 
  Another 
  grade, 
  called 
  "tuck- 
  

   tails," 
  are 
  also 
  packed 
  to 
  some 
  extent. 
  The 
  medium-scaled 
  herring 
  

   derive 
  their 
  name 
  from 
  the 
  now 
  obsolete 
  custom 
  of 
  removing 
  the 
  scales 
  

   before 
  "striking" 
  them 
  in 
  pickle. 
  They 
  are 
  considered 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  a 
  more 
  

   desirable 
  size 
  and 
  quality 
  and 
  sell 
  at 
  a 
  higher 
  price 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  

   grade 
  of 
  regular 
  herring. 
  It 
  is 
  customary 
  to 
  divide 
  them 
  into 
  two 
  

   sizes, 
  known 
  as 
  large 
  and 
  small 
  medium 
  herring. 
  They 
  are 
  packed 
  

   crosswise 
  of 
  the 
  box, 
  and 
  each 
  box 
  contains 
  from 
  30 
  to 
  35 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  

   and 
  from 
  about 
  45 
  to 
  upwards 
  of 
  50 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  size, 
  or 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  

   about 
  45 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  combined. 
  The 
  lengthwise 
  herring 
  are 
  larger 
  than 
  

   the 
  medium-scaled, 
  and 
  receive 
  their 
  name 
  from 
  being 
  packed 
  length- 
  

   wise 
  of 
  the 
  box. 
  Each 
  box 
  contains 
  from 
  15 
  to 
  18 
  fish 
  of 
  this 
  grade. 
  

   The 
  tuck-tails, 
  which 
  are 
  also 
  crosswise 
  herring, 
  are 
  so 
  called 
  from 
  the 
  

   fact 
  that, 
  being 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  box, 
  the 
  tails 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  

   tucked 
  or 
  bent 
  over 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  packed. 
  There 
  are 
  usually 
  from 
  

   about 
  20 
  to 
  22 
  in 
  each 
  box. 
  The 
  grade 
  known 
  as 
  "No. 
  1" 
  are 
  the 
  

   smallest 
  and 
  least 
  valuable 
  quality 
  of 
  herring 
  and 
  frequently 
  sell 
  for 
  

   not 
  more 
  than 
  5 
  cents 
  per 
  box, 
  each 
  box 
  containing 
  from 
  60 
  to 
  75 
  fish. 
  

   The 
  "bloaters" 
  are 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  regular 
  herring 
  and 
  are 
  packed 
  

   crosswise 
  of 
  the 
  box, 
  each 
  box 
  containing 
  100 
  fish. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  

   regular 
  herring 
  to 
  the 
  box 
  varies 
  considerably, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  

   the 
  fish, 
  and 
  the 
  dealers 
  frequently 
  indicate 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  grade 
  

   desired 
  by 
  stating 
  in 
  their 
  orders 
  the 
  number 
  to 
  be 
  packed 
  in 
  a 
  box. 
  

  

  The 
  fish 
  for 
  salting, 
  when 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  tanks, 
  are 
  rinsed 
  or 
  

   " 
  washed 
  out" 
  in 
  the 
  pickle 
  with 
  the 
  " 
  wash 
  nets 
  " 
  and 
  laid 
  on 
  tables, 
  

   from 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  packed 
  in 
  the 
  barrels. 
  The 
  packer 
  first 
  scatters 
  

   about 
  a 
  pint 
  of 
  salt 
  over 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  barrel 
  and 
  then 
  closely 
  

   packs 
  the 
  fish 
  in 
  single 
  layers, 
  each 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  pint 
  or 
  

   more 
  of 
  salt. 
  When 
  the 
  barrel 
  is 
  two-thirds 
  full, 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  salt 
  

   to 
  each 
  layer 
  of 
  fish 
  is 
  increased 
  to 
  about 
  2 
  quarts. 
  The 
  barrel, 
  

   when 
  filled, 
  is 
  left 
  unheaded 
  for 
  several 
  days 
  or 
  a 
  week 
  for 
  the 
  fish 
  to 
  

   settle. 
  About 
  a 
  half 
  bushel 
  of 
  Cadiz 
  or 
  other 
  coarse 
  salt 
  is 
  used 
  in 
  

   packing 
  a 
  barrel 
  of 
  round 
  herring 
  and 
  a 
  larger 
  quantity 
  is 
  required 
  for 
  

   split 
  herring. 
  When 
  the 
  fish 
  have 
  settled, 
  the 
  barrels 
  are 
  headed, 
  and 
  

   a 
  hole 
  is 
  bored 
  in 
  the 
  head 
  or 
  bilge, 
  as 
  the 
  case 
  may 
  be, 
  and 
  strong 
  

   pickle 
  is 
  poured 
  in 
  through 
  a 
  funnel. 
  The 
  barrel, 
  being 
  full 
  of 
  fish, 
  

   will 
  only 
  hold 
  about 
  two 
  buckets 
  of 
  pickle. 
  The 
  rule 
  is 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  

   pickle 
  strong 
  enough 
  to 
  float 
  a 
  salted 
  herring. 
  It 
  requires 
  about 
  1^ 
  

   bushels 
  of 
  Cadiz 
  or 
  3 
  bushels 
  of 
  Liverpool 
  salt 
  to 
  a 
  hogsheadof 
  salt 
  water. 
  

   After 
  a 
  time 
  the 
  staves 
  of 
  the 
  barrel 
  become 
  soaked 
  with 
  pickle 
  and 
  

   more 
  pickle 
  is 
  added, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  for 
  the 
  barrel 
  to 
  be 
  completely 
  

   filled. 
  The 
  holes 
  are 
  then 
  plugged 
  and 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  ready 
  for 
  shipment. 
  

  

  Marlcets 
  and 
  transportation. 
  — 
  The 
  principal 
  markets 
  for 
  smoked 
  her- 
  

   ring 
  are 
  Boston 
  and 
  New 
  York. 
  The 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  pack 
  is 
  shipped 
  

   by 
  the 
  regular 
  lines 
  of 
  steamboats, 
  which 
  make 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  two 
  trips 
  

   each 
  week 
  during 
  the 
  entire 
  year, 
  there 
  being 
  no 
  railroad 
  communica- 
  

  

  