490 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



in 1865. It was well known to me that myriads of little herring were annually caught at East- 

 port, Me. These were too small to be of use for smoking or pickliug, and I thought that as they 

 belonged to the same family as the sardine they might be used with profit as a substitute, and that 

 if properly prepared they would be equally good. Acting upon this thought I visited Croissett, 

 on the coast of France, where there were several canneries for the packing of sardines, and made 

 a careful examination of their works. I also studied the methods of taking the fish and the 

 different processes to which they were subjected before being placed in the cans. Later, I pro- 

 ceeded to Nantes, on the river Loire, for the purpose of inspecting the canneries of that region. 

 Having made myself familiar with the French methods, I purchased a quantity of olive oil and 

 other articles to be used in the packing of herring and returned home. 



" In the fall of 1867 I proceeded to Eastport and secured suitable buildings for the work and 

 began a series of experiments. I put up the fish in cans similar to those used by the French and 

 used only the best quality of olive oil in preserving them. Great difficulty was found in properly 

 drying the fish, and after a loss of considerable time and money I was obliged to abandon the 

 business on account of my inability to get rid of the herring-oil flavor." 



This failure to prepare a suitable article was but a single step in the line of progress toward 

 an important industry. Had Mr. Burnham pushed his experiments a little further he would 

 doubtless have been rewarded, as he well deserved, by the discovery of a suitable method of 

 drying the fish, after which his way would probably have been clear. As it was, his failure had 

 its effect upon those who were interested in the work and the result was, that parties began 

 looking about for other fishes which did not possess the " herring-oil flavor." 



AN ATTEMPT TO UTILIZE THE MENHADEN FOE THIS PURPOSE. An attempt was soon made 

 to utilize the common menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) for canning purposes. The parties engaged 

 in this work met with fair success, and the canned menhaden were at first received with consid- 

 erable favor, but for some reason the business is now of little importance, if, indeed, it has not 

 been wholly abandoned. 



Prof. G. Brown Goode, in his History of the Menhaden, gives the following account of the 

 manufacture of sardines from menhaden : 



"On the coast of New Jersey, near Port Monrnouth, are several factories, which carry on an 

 extensive business in canning menhaden in oil and spices. Mr. F. F. Beals, of New York, gives 

 the following description of the methods in use in one of these establishments : 



" ' We aim to have our catch of mossbunkers in by 6 or 7 o'clock a. m., as the fish seem to be 

 strongly impregnated with phosphorus and soon spoil in warm weather. As soon as the fish arc 

 landed, we put our entire force of men to cleaning, cutting, and scaling, for which we have 

 machines adapted. When the fish are cleaned, they are at once put in hogsheads, and salted just 

 sufficiently to keep and to remove their extreme freshness. They are then packed in cooking 

 cans, which are a little larger than the packing cans, and put into the tanks, where they are 

 steamed for* the space of about two hours. After the fish are taken out, they are placed in the 

 regular market cans, which are then laid upon zinc covered tables, where they are filled with 

 salad oil. They then go to the tinners, who solder on the lids, after which the can is again 

 steamed and vented, and passed up into the cleaning and labeling room. Each day's work is 

 piled up separately, each can being thoroughly tested to see that it is perfectly air-tight. For 

 this we have an experienced hand. Not a can is packed until it has stood for at least a month. 

 At the expiration of this time, after being again tested, the cans are packed in wooden cases 

 containing two dozen each, and are then ready for the market. As we make all our tin cases, wo 



