414 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [4] 



in salt watiM- whicli sboulcl frequently be cbauseil. The use of fresli 

 water is said to make the fish slimy. With the left hand the fish is 

 seized by the tail, and while water is constantly poured over it, the 

 blood is pressed out from the remaining portion of the bone with the 

 thumb, while at the same time the tail is twisted a little. With the 

 right hand the black membrane of the stomach is removed, as well as 

 all impurities, and particles of slime and blood. Special care should be 

 taken to clean the neck-bone, and to brush oft* all slime under the pec- 

 toral and dorsal fins. To make the cleaning process easier, woolen 

 gloves are used. Some foreign fishermen use brushes, but as the bris- 

 tles easily tear the flesh, gloves are preferable, at any rate for cleaning 

 the flesh side. It cannot be repeated too often, that the last drop of 

 blood must come out of the bone; and in preparing brine-salted fish 

 the Scotch cut across that part of the backbone under which the veins 

 are hid. 



In order that the water may flow ofl", the washed fish are laid in small 

 piles, the skin side ni)ward (excei)t in the lowest layer) and the necks 

 the same way, turned inward toward the middle of the pile, the layers 

 of which should be arranged like rays. The piles should not- be too 

 high. 



The salting should take place within 12 hours after the fish have been 

 caught, if a first-class article is desired. If the fish are to be dry-salted, 

 some boards are i)laced in a slightly inclined i)osition, so that the brine, 

 whi('h contains some slin)e, can flow oil; and these boards should be 

 placed on stones so high that the water at the bottom of the vessel can- 

 not reach the lowest layer of fish. On these boards enough salt is 

 strewed barely to cover them. On these boards the fish are placed in 

 horizontal rows across the boards (when on board a shi]), across the en 

 tire breadth of the ship), alternately with the tail outside and the neck 

 outside (as shown in Fig. 4). 



Three or four rows of fish generally form a layer, which is as long 

 as the space will permit. Several layers, one on top of the other, all 

 with the flesh side downward and salt sprinkled ou each, form a pile. 

 The breadth of the pile (3 or 4 fish lengths) is determined by the dis- 

 tance to which the Salter can reach, so as to spread them out evenly 

 without treading on thenj. The pectoral fins should be bent over. Fish 

 of the same layer should not cover each other in a single si)ot, unless 

 this spot is well covered with salt ; otherwise the fish will in these places 

 assume a yellow color, and be classed among damaged fish. On board 

 a vessel the height of the pile should not exceed 3 or 4 feet, before the 

 fish have settled. If the catch has been good and thereibre all tbetisli 

 in the pile are soft and freshly salted, the pile is apt to be loose and may 

 easily tumble down, whereby many fish are damaged ; moreover, it is 

 inconvenient to salt a very high pile. 



In view of the limited siiace on board a vessel, the fish may be piled 

 up a second time, when tliey may of course be piled up clear to the | 



