40 BULLETIN 908, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



periods in pickle. The loss at the end of 12 hours in both was greater 

 by approximately 2 per cent than that at the end of the 10-hour 

 period. A greater loss of total nitrogen and of ammonia and amine 

 nitrogen occurred in the eviscerated than in the uneviscerated fish. 

 More nitrogenous material was extracted from these fish than was 

 lost by the lot used in the previous experiment when held in either 

 pickle or dry salt. The weight and volume and specific gravity 

 changes were slightly greater in the case of the pickle from unevis- 

 cerated fish, showing that a larger quantity of water was removed 

 from uncut fish than from those in which the viscera had been re- 

 moved. There was practically no difference in the total amount 

 of nitrogen found in the pickle of the eviscerated and uneviscerated 

 fish. The quantity of total volatile nitrogen, however, was slightly 

 greater in the case of the uneviscerated fish. 



It is seen from these three sets of experiments that fish lose more 

 water when dry salted than when held in strong pickle. The amount 

 of nitrogenous material extracted in proportion to the amount of 

 water removed is very much less in the case of fish held in dry salt 

 than that extracted from fish held in pickle. More nitrogenous sub- 

 stances are extracted from eviscerated fish than from uneviscerated 

 fish, while a greater amount of nitrogenous extractives is removed 

 from fish relatively poor in fat than from fairly fat fish. 



LARGE SCALE. 



To secure experimental conditions which would approximate aa 

 nearly as possible those of actual practice and still keep the work 

 under control, two additional experiments were conducted on the 

 dry salting of fish. 



The first one was made on fish from Grand Manan, which had been 

 about 8 hours out of water. The weather was decidedly cool, so 

 that they were in good condition. The largest fish were discarded, the 

 experiment being conducted on 70 pounds, accurately weighed to one- 

 half ounce, of one-quarter oil and three-quarter mustard size. 



The salting, which was done in a small barrel provided with a hole 

 in the bottom, through which the pickle could be drawn off at inter- 

 vals, was at the rate of one sack to a hogshead, which is approximately 

 .180 pounds of salt to 1,000 pounds of fish, or 13 pounds to 70 pounds 

 of fish. The brine was drawn off after the first hour and the second 

 hour, and then at 2-hour intervals. A sample of the fish designated 

 as fresh was taken from the lot as it was being salted. After drawing 

 off the brine at each time interval, a sample of fish was removed, 

 weighed, washed free from adhering salt, the heads removed, and 

 ground thoroughly. The brine collected after each interval of time 



