MAINE SARDINE INDUSTRY. 61 



in the packing room, at the end of the steaming and drying process. 

 The oil was run into each can from a pipette graduated to deliver the 

 proper quantity. After allowing enough time to permit all the oil 

 possible to soak into the fish the covers were sealed on the cans. 

 Different types of sealing machines were used, but no provision was 

 made to guard against leaks, such as the use of a gasket or by 

 soldering. 



In putting up the fish used for lot 4 a small patented packing 

 device 1 was used. Some of the advantages claimed for this device, 

 however, could not be checked in this experiment, owing to leakage 

 of oil from the cans. 



After these lots had been packed, oiled, processed, and allowed to 

 stand for from 2 to 3 months, the contents of two representative 

 cans from each lot were ground and thoroughly mixed. The oil 

 was wiped out as completely as possible from the interior of the cans 

 with the ground meat, and every effort was made to have each 

 sample uniform. Three separate samples of the two cans from each 

 pack were analyzed, the water, fat, and total nitrogen analyses being 

 made in triplicate. The percentage amount of oil recovered, and 

 the total food value per can, expressed in calories, were calculated 

 from these results. In calculating the weight of oil added, the 

 specific gravity of cottonseed oil was taken as 0.925. To determine 

 the average weight of the fish per can, several lots of 100 fish each 

 were weighed and an average taken. The results of these analyses 

 are shown in Table 27. 



The cans of lot 1 to which oil had been added at the rate of 1 and 

 \\ quarts per case contained only a trace of visible oil when opened. 

 Those to which oil had been added at the rate of 2 quarts per case 

 were less than one-quarter full of free oil, while those having oil 

 added at the rate of 2\ quarts per case were less than half full. 

 Cans to which the oil had been added at the rate of 3 quarts per 

 case showed a. reasonable amount, being about five-eighths full. 

 At the rate of Z\ quarts, the cans were practically seven-eighths full, 

 while those that were packed at the rate of 4 quarts per case were 

 found to be practically full of oil. 



The figures for the recovery of the added oil vary widely, owing 

 to loss of oil at the time of sealing full cans and to loss on standing 

 through imperfect seams. In all instances the percentage amount 

 of oil recovered when the sardines were oiled at the rate of 4 quarts 

 per case was low. These figures agree with observations made at 

 the time of sealing and with the experience of the packers that 

 when the cans are full, or almost full, of oil a great deal of it is ex- 

 pelled when the lid is forced down by the chuck during the sealing 

 operation. 



i IT, S. Letters Patent 1,206,977. 



