1040 FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. [10] 



fish, after being split and salted, are kenched, and afterwards washed, 

 drained, and dried until most of the moisture is removed. 



THE MACKEREL INDUSTRY. 



The mackerel industry is a New England enterprise, and most of the 

 vessels of the mackerel fleet are owned in Massachusetts. The total catch 

 of mackerel by United States fishermen in 1880 was 131,939,222 pounds, 

 of which amount 117,500,000 pounds, equal to 343,808 barrels, were brine- 

 salted, and the rest sold fresh or put up in cans. In 1881 the catch 

 was even larger, reaching about 150,000,000 pounds. The production 

 of the American fleet, although so large, is not sufficient to supply the 

 home trade, and an additional quantity, amounting in 1880 to 112,468 

 barrels, or about 33,750,000 pounds fresh weight, was imported almost 

 entirely from the Dominion of Canada. In 1881 the imports were 120,297 

 barrels, valued at $614,826. In 1882 the imports were only 58,443 bar- 

 rels, this small amount resulting from a scarcity of fish in Provincial 

 waters. A small amount of pickled mackerel, ranging from a few hun- 

 dred to three or four thousand barrels, is annually exported from the 

 United States to the West Indies, and consists chiefly of low grades of 

 fish received from Canada. 



As seen above, most of the mackerel catch is brine-salted in barrels, 

 a comparatively small amount being consumed in a fresh condition. 

 There has grown up, however, within a few years, a rapidly increasing 

 demand for canned fresh mackerel. These are put up either plain- 

 boiled or broiled and seasoned with tomato or mustard sauce. The 

 former method is the ordinary process of canning fresh fish. On reach- 

 ing the cannery the fish are cleaned, the heads and tails removed, and 

 are washed in strong brine, to give them a salty flavor. They are then 

 sealed in cans and immersed in boiling water until thoroughly cooked. 

 After being vented and cooled, the cans are painted, labeled, and packed 

 in wooden cases. The principal sizes of cans are those holding 1 

 pound, cylindrical in form, and measuring 4£ inches in height by 3 

 inches in diameter, and 2-pound cans, of the same height, but an inch 

 larger in diameter. There is a loss of about one-quarter in weight by 

 dressing. 



The second method of canning, by broiling, is practiced in two ways. 

 By the first way the fish are treated the same as sardines. They are 

 washed, dried, fried in oil, and put up in tins with vinegar and spices. 

 By the second way, and the one in more general use, the fish are 

 cleaned, the heads and tails removed, and then put for a few minutes in 

 strong brine. They are then again washed, spread on wire trays, and 

 steamed for several minutes in a tight box. The fish, still on the trays, 

 are next put into an oven to be baked or broiled, and are then packed 

 in tin boxes of oval shape, holding about 3 .pounds each. A sauce 

 of mustard or tomato, seasoned with spices, is added for flavoring. The 

 next step is to seal the cans and subject them to a hot-water bath, after 



