THE FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1906. 



19 



Output. — The pack amounted to 16,926 barrels and 3,389 half bar- 

 rels, with a total value of $139,838. Sockej^e salmon formed by far 

 the greater part of this pack, and most of these were put up in West- 

 ern Alaska. In Southeast Alaska humpback, or pink, salmon are 

 the principal item in the pack. 



Table Showing, by Species, the Quantity Salmon Pickled in 1906. 



MILD-CURING. 



For some years there has been a heavy demand for smoked salmon 

 in Germany, Austria, Russia, and Sweden, where the salmon sup- 

 ply is small. About 1892 the foreign dealers began buying Columbia 

 River frozen salmon, which for several seasons they used on a small 

 scale by thawing, splitting, salting, and smoking; but they at last 

 gave up their efforts, because the fish would not stand the processes 

 after being thawed. The coast shippers then began experiments in 

 slack-salting king salmon especially for the smoking process abroad. 



As had been known to the smokers for several years, hard-salted 

 fish were of no use for smoking, the free use of salt driving the very 

 best juice and flavor from the fish and making them dry and tasteless. 

 After two years of expensive, and of ttimes discouraging, experiments, 

 the salmon packers perfected a product now known as "mild-cured." 

 By this process the fish are packed in a weak brine, in which they 



