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COD AND OTHER SALT FISH FOR THE MARKET. 



The difficulties in drying are sunburn, softening, and, in the case 

 of light salted fish, flyblowing. The sunburning occurs most often 

 in July and August, but can be avoided in a large measure by the use 

 of the canvas cover. Softening is due to insufficient cure and drying 

 during a long period of foggy weather. Flies are due to insanitary 

 conditions, which permit their development, but they are no longer 

 a source of much trouble. 



QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF SALT USED. 



The salt used in the curing of the fish is nearly all imported and 

 comes from the Mediterranean Sea. That used by the larger number 

 of fishermen comes from Trapani, in the island of Sicily. The other 

 salt is known as Iviza and comes from an island off the east coast of 

 Spain. These salts are strictly solar salts, produced by permitting 

 the sea water to overflow lowland at high tide and then depending 

 upon the sun to evaporate the moisture and leave the salt. Long 

 dikes are constructed along the sea wall and when the water has 

 nearly all evaporated, the dike gates are opened and more water 

 enters at high tide. This is repeated until several inches of salt form 

 on the bed. It is then allowed to dry, is collected in piles, and wheeled 

 to the storage room for use. The crystals formed in this way are 

 fairly coarse a condition considered to be necessary for the good 

 curing of fish. The salt contains not only the sodium chlorid but also 

 the other salts and impurities incident to the sea water. The salt 

 looks white but is not so good as is generally believed. The following 

 analyses show the composition of four kinds of salt : 



Analyses of various salts used for curing fish. 



a Connecticut Agr. Exper. Sta. Report, 1907-8, p. 597. 



Some conception of the quantity of salt employed in curing fish 

 may be gained from the fact that 25,000 long tons are so used at 

 Gloucester alone each year. 



Formerly Cadiz salt was used exclusively in the curing of fish, 

 but when it was believed that the reddening of the cod was due to 

 the salt, the change was made to the Trapani salt, and it is only in 



