﻿476 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  at 
  bis 
  side. 
  The 
  fish 
  are 
  thrown 
  by 
  a 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  left 
  hand 
  into 
  

   the 
  cutting-box 
  which 
  is 
  located 
  under 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  table. 
  The 
  

   cutting-boxes 
  aie 
  each 
  considered 
  to 
  hold 
  fish 
  enough 
  to 
  pack 
  one 
  case 
  

   of 
  sardines, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  generally 
  estimated 
  that 
  if 
  the 
  herring 
  are 
  of 
  

   suitable 
  size 
  and 
  in 
  good 
  condition, 
  so 
  there 
  will 
  be 
  no 
  waste 
  except 
  

   "cuttings," 
  one 
  hogshead 
  will 
  pack 
  from 
  20 
  to 
  22 
  cases, 
  and 
  possibly 
  a 
  

   larger 
  number. 
  The 
  cutters 
  are 
  attended 
  by 
  a 
  man 
  who 
  removes 
  the 
  

   boxes 
  and 
  rolls 
  aside 
  the 
  barrels 
  when 
  filled, 
  putting 
  empty 
  ones 
  in 
  

   their 
  places, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  work 
  may 
  continue 
  without 
  interruption. 
  

  

  As 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  fish 
  have 
  been 
  cut 
  they 
  are 
  taken 
  to 
  the 
  salting-room 
  

   and 
  put 
  into 
  a 
  washing-tank, 
  where 
  a 
  man 
  stands 
  with 
  a 
  wash 
  net 
  or 
  

   ordinary 
  scoop 
  net 
  and 
  washes 
  them. 
  The 
  water 
  in 
  the 
  washing- 
  tank 
  

   is 
  being 
  constantly 
  changed, 
  coming 
  in 
  by 
  a 
  hose 
  and 
  running 
  out 
  of 
  a 
  

   vent 
  near 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  tank. 
  The 
  fish 
  are 
  then 
  dipped 
  out 
  into 
  the 
  

   pickling-tanks. 
  The 
  tanks 
  are 
  sometimes 
  hogsheads 
  cut 
  off 
  just 
  above 
  

   the 
  bilge, 
  but 
  usually 
  they 
  are 
  built 
  of 
  planks 
  and 
  are 
  about 
  3 
  feet 
  

   wide 
  and 
  2i 
  feet 
  deep, 
  being 
  generally 
  about 
  15 
  feet 
  long 
  and 
  divided 
  

   into 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  sections. 
  They 
  are 
  filled 
  with 
  strong 
  pickle, 
  in 
  

   which 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  allowed 
  to 
  remain 
  from 
  twenty 
  minutes 
  to 
  an 
  hour. 
  

   The 
  length 
  of 
  time 
  depends 
  somewhat 
  on 
  the 
  fatness 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  and 
  

   the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  weather. 
  If 
  they 
  are 
  very 
  fat 
  or 
  the 
  weather 
  is 
  

   cold 
  it 
  requires 
  a 
  longer 
  time, 
  but 
  ordinarily 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  from 
  30 
  to 
  

   40 
  minutes. 
  After 
  being 
  sufficiently 
  "struck" 
  in 
  the 
  pickle 
  they 
  are 
  

   dipped 
  out 
  into 
  baskets 
  and 
  allowed 
  to 
  drain, 
  after 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  put 
  

   on 
  the 
  elevator 
  and 
  sent 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  flaking-room. 
  The 
  flakers, 
  who 
  

   number 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  upward 
  of 
  12, 
  take 
  the 
  fish 
  from 
  the 
  baskets 
  and 
  lay 
  

   them 
  on 
  the 
  flakes 
  in 
  rows. 
  The 
  "flakes" 
  or 
  frames 
  are 
  about 
  3 
  feet 
  

   long 
  and 
  22 
  inches 
  wide, 
  and 
  are 
  filled 
  in 
  with 
  galvanized 
  wire 
  an 
  inch 
  

   or 
  more 
  apart. 
  Each 
  flake 
  contains 
  5 
  rows 
  of 
  from 
  18 
  to 
  25 
  fish 
  each, 
  

   or 
  from 
  90 
  to 
  125 
  to 
  the 
  flake, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  fish, 
  and 
  

   about 
  10 
  flakes 
  are 
  required 
  to 
  pack 
  a 
  case 
  of 
  sardines. 
  

  

  As 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  flaked 
  tliey 
  are 
  ready 
  for 
  the 
  oven. 
  In 
  the 
  

   progress 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  the 
  flaking 
  is 
  done 
  faster 
  than 
  the 
  baking, 
  and 
  

   the 
  flakes 
  when 
  filled 
  are 
  placed 
  in 
  racks, 
  where 
  they 
  remain 
  until 
  

   needed. 
  The 
  oven 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  rotary 
  kind, 
  such 
  as 
  is 
  used 
  by 
  bakers. 
  

   There 
  are 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  iron 
  frames 
  suspended 
  from 
  arms 
  extending 
  

   from 
  a 
  cylinder 
  in 
  the 
  center, 
  which 
  is 
  revolved 
  by 
  steam 
  power. 
  

   During 
  the 
  revolutions, 
  which 
  are 
  made 
  slowly, 
  the 
  frames 
  remain 
  in 
  

   a 
  horizontal 
  position, 
  like 
  the 
  cars 
  of 
  a 
  Ferris 
  wheel, 
  the 
  heat 
  being 
  

   supplied 
  by 
  a 
  furnace 
  underneath. 
  The 
  ovens 
  were 
  introduced 
  in 
  1879, 
  

   and 
  are 
  now 
  used 
  in 
  nearly 
  all 
  the 
  canneries. 
  They 
  serve 
  the 
  twofold 
  

   purpose 
  of 
  drying 
  and 
  cooking 
  the 
  fish. 
  The 
  flakes 
  are 
  placed 
  on 
  the 
  

   frames 
  in 
  the 
  oven 
  and 
  the 
  fish 
  subjected 
  to 
  the 
  heat 
  for 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  

   time 
  varying 
  from 
  15 
  to 
  30 
  minutes, 
  or 
  until 
  they 
  are 
  cooked 
  as 
  much 
  

   as 
  possible 
  without 
  being 
  discolored. 
  They 
  are 
  then 
  taken 
  out 
  and 
  

   replaced 
  in 
  the 
  racks 
  to 
  cool. 
  The 
  work 
  is 
  conducted 
  by 
  an 
  experienced 
  

   baker, 
  who 
  generally 
  has 
  an 
  assistant 
  or 
  "helper." 
  When 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  

  

  