516 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHEEIES. 



this matter and put up a superior quality of goods which shall be sold upon their merits. The use 

 of poor oils is perhaps the greatest drawback to the extension of the sardine business in the 

 United States ; but we are treated little better by the French canners, who have for a number of 

 years been using the cheaper grades of oil in the preparation of those goods that are intended for 

 exportation. Nearly all of the larger French establishments have certain brands which are put 

 up in the very best quality of olive oil, but most of them also put up inferior and cheaper brands 

 in which they use only the poorer grades of olive oil, and others pack in oil from the seeds of 

 plants of that and other countries. Very few of the best brands of French sardines are imported 

 into the United States, so that the fish obtained from abroad are little, if any, superior to the 

 average grades packed in this country. 



SARDINES IN VINEGAR AND SPICES. Besides oil sardines a large quantity of herring are put 

 up in vinegar and spices under the name of sardines royales and sardines marine's. Before the 

 vinegar is poured on the fish it is boiled with spices of various kinds. In addition to the liquid, 

 mustard seed, cloves, peppers, bay leaves, and frequently a small piece of lemon, are placed in the 

 can. A good many fish are also put up in mustard, which is mixed with the best quality of vine- 

 gar that has been spiced to suit the taste. The spiced sardines and those put up in mustard are 

 received with great favor by the trade and are coming into general use in certain portions of the 

 country. By many they are preferred to the ordinary oil sardines. They are usually sold at a 

 much lower figure for boxes of the same size. A few herring are also packed in tomato sauce, 

 but thus far the demand for them has been very limited, and as there has been some difficulty 

 about their keeping qualities the dealers and even the manufacturers are a little shy of them. 



BONELESS SAEDINES. Thus far no one in this country has attempted to put up boneless sar- 

 dines after the French method, though the imported goods are said to find ready sale in the 

 American markets. We see no reason why some enterprising firm should not begin experiments 

 in this line, as there would probably be no more, if indeed as much, difficulty in removing the bones 

 from the herring than from the smaller fish used by the French. The method of preparation after 

 the bones have been removed is exactly similar to that to which the ordinary sardine is subjected, 

 and it will only be necessary to describe the boning process. Mr. Wallem gives the following 

 account of the method employed by the French in this work : 



"The so-called boning process, which by many people is considered very difficult, is, in reality, 

 very easy. When the sardines are about half dried in the sun (if dried in an oven they can only be 

 boned with great difficulty and loss), they are subjected to the following treatment. With one 

 crack the backbone is broken close to the root of the tail. Then, by evenly and tightly squeezing 

 it with the fingers it is loosened along its entire length. During this manipulation the whole bone 

 system is loosened, and, commencing at the neck, the backbone and all the bones with it can be 

 pulled out with two fingers or with a pair of small pincers. For breaking the backbone near the 

 tail a pair of pincers is also sometimes used. When the bone has been taken out the sardines are 

 set in the sun to dry in the usual manner." 



THE SOLDERING PROCESS. After the cans have been filled with fish and the proper condi- 

 ments, and the cover has been inserted, they are sent to the soldering-room, where they are her- 

 metically sealed by men who make a specialty of this work. In the Eastport canneries each man 

 has a small revolving stand, which is turned by means of a treadle and leather belt. The top or 

 surface of the stand has a small groove for holding the box, and as the soldering proceeds the 

 whole is gradually turned so that the work may be more conveniently done. Soldering- wire is 

 used for this purpose. In other places the revolving stand is entirely done away with, and a large 

 board with longitudinal strips for holding the cans is substituted. This, when filled, holds 100 



