MARINE PRODUCTS. 67 



square compartment known as the pot. This is usually about 

 40 by 40 feet and in water a> deep as 65 feet. This pot contain- a 

 dip net equal to its area. Just previous to reaching the pot the 

 trap is made to zigzag or assume a heart shape, so that the fish in 

 trying to pass up the stream will be directed into the pot. Adjoin- 

 ing the pot is a spillor, which is similar in construction, but of smaller 

 size, having a tunnel or opening connecting the two. The ii.-h pa>s 

 1 1 cm the pot to the spiller and are taken out by the dip net or brailer, 

 which is 12 by 12 feet and is cast and drawn on board the boat by 

 power, literally lifting out hundreds of fish at a time. They are 

 hurried to the factory as rapidly as possible, where they are unloaded 

 upon the dock by means of elevators or pews. 



It is the general practice to permit the fish to remain out of water 

 in bins for 24 hours before canning, as a certain amount of shrinkage 

 takes place, otherwise there may be excessive blowing of the juice on 

 venting. The fish are washed free from slime or gurry before they 

 go to the butchering room. 



The dressing of the fish, or butchering as it is called, is done speed- 

 ily, mostly by machinery. The head and tail are sawed off on a band 

 saw, where formerly they were cut off with a cleaver. The fish is then 

 fed into the " chink " tail first and back down. By the revolution of 

 this wheel, the fins are removed by special knives, the body is split 

 open, the viscera torn out, and the interior wall scrubbed by revolving 

 brushes. The dressed fish is delivered into a tank of water, and the 

 offal delivered with the gurry. The iron chink does a better job than 

 is done by hand, and is the most important machine in the canning 

 of salmon. After the fish has been dropped into the tank of cold 

 water, it is scrubbed thoroughly with brushes until it is clean. 



The dressed fish is placed upon a special slitted elevator, which 

 feeds it transversely into a series of revolving disks, which cut it into 

 lengths corresponding to the height of the can. There are a variety 

 of lengths used, but there are three which are standard; the No. 1 

 tall, No. 1 flat, and the half pound. Seven knives are used in the 

 gang for cutting for tall cans, 13 knives for flat, and 17 knives for 

 half-pound cans. 



The grading of the fish is done on the basis of solid and less de- 

 sirable body cuts. The filling of the choice parts is done by hand, 

 and each can weighed. The short weights are supplemented by bits, 

 but overweight is not reduced. Much of the filling, especially of the 

 less expensive cuts, is done by machinery. The cans used must all be 

 open top, and this is later either soldered or the joint made with a 

 double seamer. 



The solder capping of the cans is different from that practiced in 

 other packing. First a piece of tin with the corners bent up is placed 

 on the fish, then the can is set in a machine which wipes the upper 



