432 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [12] 



takes place, when, as in Scotlaud, the briue is first allowed to flow off 

 entirely. Three tons are generally used to fill in fourteen. As regards 

 the time for filling, it is customary not to do it too soon, as the herring 

 are apt to shrink, but not too late either, as by lying in the brine too 

 long they lose some of their scales and become flabby. As in Scotland, 

 the^brine is filtered before it is again put into the kegs. On returning 

 to shore, the kegs are again filled. Fou rteen kegs " filled at sea " will 

 make thirteen to thirteen and a half kegs for exportation. This shows 

 that the fish are packed firmly at sea. 



In Norway, whenever fish are salted on board the fishing vessels, the 

 kegs are left from one-half to one day, when they are filled, closed, and 

 let^lown into the hold of the vessel, where they remain until they reach 

 their destination. Many kegs, therefore, arrive at destination with 

 hardly any brine. When being prepared for exportation many persons 

 confine themselves to brushing ofl" the topmost part of the briue, which is 

 often full of train-oil and loose scales, to sprinkling salt all round the 

 sides, and pouring in some more brine at both ends. Loose packing is the 

 rule, and the brine which is poured in has never been filtered. It is 

 quite right that all herring should be packed loosely during the salting 

 process. After they have lain in salt ten to twelve days it is generally 

 supposed that close packing will do no harm; and there is, therefore, 

 no reason for the loose packing which is so common in :N^orway just 

 prior to getting the herring ready for transportation. It must be con- 

 sidered injurious to let the herring lie in the brine wliile being shipped 

 from the salting place, ami the kegs should, therefore, be filled com- 

 pletely after ten or twelve days. It is said that our summer herring 

 cannot stand close packing, as the fat is apt to be pressed out. When- 

 ever the fat becomes loosened the formation of train-oil cannot be pre- 

 vented, no matter how loosely the herring are ])acked ; and it is, there- 

 fore, immaterial whether the fish are packed loosely or not. To draw 

 oft" the brine, as is done in Scotland and Holland, when the kegs are to 

 be filled, would be a great mistake, at least as regards those herring 

 which emit train-oil, as the greater i)ortion of this would remain in the 

 keg. The method commonly employed is, therefore, the best, all things 

 being considered. But, as has been stated before, the fixt should be re- 

 moved before the fish are salted, whenever it is loose, for the emission 

 of train oil will continue, no matter how often the brine is changed or 

 how often it is skimmed oft', as is done sometimes. -Whenever herring 

 which do not emit fat are put in the kegs, the brine should be drawn 

 off and filtered before it is again poured into the kegs. 



From the above it will be seen that the defects in our method are 

 principally the following: 



1. That we are not partijjular enough as regards the freshness of the 

 raw material. 



2. That the herring are not thoroughly cleaned. 



3. That the sorting is not done systematically. 



