66 THE CANNING OF FOODS. 



The variation in fill is not different from that of some other 

 canned foods, but as there is nothing upon the label to inform the 

 consumer concerning the contents it admits of unfair dealing. As 

 the liquor is nothing but salt water and not juice, as many suppose, 

 its use in excess of the amount necessary for proper packing of the 

 article is not justifiable. It would undoubtedly be better for both 

 packer and consumer if the cans were confined to the standard No. 1 

 and No. 2 and the " short " and " intermediate " weights eliminated. 

 It is not possible to pack each can to weigh an exact amount, as some 

 variation will take place in the water absorbed in processing, and a 

 single oyster over or under weight, especially the large sizes, may 

 cause a variation of a fourth of an ounce or more either way. They 

 can be packed so that they will average the weights given, and the 

 No. 1 should not weigh less than 4 ounces. 



The term " cove " is applied to any canned oyster. It originally 

 meant only the oysters obtained on the western shores of Chesapeake 

 Bay and was distinctive of quality. Gradually any oyster became 

 a cove oyster, and now it refers to canned oysters irrespective of 

 where they are obtained. 



SALMON. 



Salmon canning on the Pacific coast is one of the large canning 

 industries, and is of so much importance that Government aid is ex- 

 tended in maintaining fish hatcheries in order to keep up the supply. 

 The first salmon canning was done on the Sacramento River in 1864, 

 later on the Columbia River in 1866, in British Columbia in 1874, and 

 in Alaska in 1882. The value of the salmon pack on the Pacific 

 coast is more than $10,000,000 annually. 



There are four species of salmon which have large commercial im- 

 portance, Oncorhynchus tschawytscha, the chinook, quinnat, red 

 spring, or King Alaska; 0. nerka, the sockeye, blue back, or red 

 fish ; 0. kisutch. cohoe, silver, or silver sides; and O. gorbuscJia, hump- 

 backs or pink Alaska. Preference is given to the bright pink color 

 by the consumer, but for real quality the paler cohoe excels some of 

 the others, the flesh being less dry and containing more oil and a 

 better flavor. 



The salmon are caught in the rivers as soon as practicable after 

 the}' leave the sea on the way to the spawning grounds. They are 

 caught by nets, seines, traps, and fish wheels. The catching of the 

 fish is done on an elaborate scale, an idea of which may be gained 

 from a brief description of a trap. This consists of a steel-wire 

 netting, starting at the shore and carried out into the stream at an 

 upward angle for a distance of about 2,500 feet. This netting is 

 supported by piles placed about 15 feet apart. At the outer end is a 



