THE SMOKED-HERRING INDUSTRY. 487 



years. lu 1867, as we are informed by Mr. R. C. Green, Richard Young, a native of Leith, Scot- 

 land, but lately residing in Portland, Me., removed to Eastport for the purpose of smoking had- 

 dock. Finding herring abundant, and knowing of the extent of the bloater business in Boston, he 

 began curing them for shipment, practically on account of the lower price at which he secured 

 his fish, driving the Boston dealej s out of the field and compelling them to purchase their supplies 

 from him and other parties who soon built smoke-houses in the locality. The business of the 

 region has gradually increased from that time, until now Eastport puts up the greater part of the 

 bloaters prepared in the United States. Several fishermen from three or four other towns have 

 engaged in the work from time to time. A few hundred boxes were put up annually at Jonesport, 

 Me., between 1872 and 1875, and the fishermen of Button's Island, near Mount Desert, smoked a 

 few bloaters about the same time. Portland dealers soon began curing bloaters, and they have 

 continued the business, until now they rank second to Eastport in the quantity prepared. The 

 people of Lubec are just turning their attention to the business. These three towns are the only 

 ones at present engaged in the preparation of bloaters in the State of Maine, and, as far as we 

 have been able to ascertain, none are put up in other parts of the country. 



METHODS OF PREPARATION. We are indebted to Mr. R. C. Green, of Eastport, for the fol- 

 lowing description of the methods employed in the preparation of bloaters in that locality. Dur- 

 ing the months of October and November the supply of herring for bloaters is taken largely by 

 the net-fishermen off the southern head of Grand Manan. Later the fish are secured in the same 

 manner along the New Brunswick shore, between L'Etete and Point Lepreaux. They are usually 

 brought to market as soon as they have been taken from the nets, but when not convenient to 

 make the journey the fishermen salt them in bulk in the vessel until such time as it may be con- 

 venient to market them. The 'bloaters prepared from the fresh fish are known as " fresh-water 

 bloaters," and are considered far superior to the others, which are known as "salt-herring bloat- 

 ers." On reaching the shore the salt fish must be soaked for some time to remove any surplus 

 of salt that they have absorbed, after which they are at once strung and hung in the smoke- 

 house. The fresh fish on reaching the shore are immediately placed in strong pickle, where they 

 are allowed to remain for two to three days, after which they are washed and strung on ordinary 

 herring-sticks and placed in the bays with the others. Fires are then built and the fish are smoked 

 for three to six days, according to the distance of the market for which they are intended. The 

 method of smoking is similar to that employed in the preparation of hard herring, with the excep- 

 tion that the bloaters, though salted a little more, are smoked for a much shorter period. Hard 

 wood sawdust and chips are mostly used as giving the best color.* 



When the smoking is over and the fish have become cold, they are packed in boxes holding 

 100 fish each, equal to 30 to 35 pounds in weight, and shipped as soon as possible, it being neces- 

 sary to market them at once, as they are so lightly smoked that they will not keep for any consid- 

 erable period. 



The box at present used is made of pine. It is 21 Inches long, 11 inches wide, and 6 inches 



"According to Mr. Wallem, the French bloaters are smoked for a much shorter period than the American. His 

 translator represents him as saying of the French fish : 



"After the herrings have been 12 hours in the smoke, they are ready, and are in the north of France called 

 'bouffi;' they do not keep long, and are intended to be eaten soon. After they have been smoked 24 hours they keep 

 better, and are called 'prct,' i. e.,' ready;' but for (he distant markets they are not yet 'ready;' they must be 

 smoked 36 hours, and are then, strange to say, called ' half-ready' (demi-pt(t), because after they are 'ready' they are 

 moved higher up and smoked for a while longer. These last-msntioned fish can from the north of France be sent to 

 the south, whilst the pret herrings are principally intended for the Paris market. If the 'bouffi' herrings do not have 

 a ready sale, they are again put in the smoke-house and are made into 'prf.t' herrings." 



