MAINE SARDINE INDUSTRY. 103 



Waste in Cutting Back Fish to Pack in Quarter-Size Cans. 



Data were secured to show the waste occurring when fish of large 

 size were cut in various ways to fit the can, and the use of a can of 

 larger size to fit these fish was considered. 



A high-quarter long can (PL XX, fig. 1), made to hold large fish 

 without cutting away the best portions of the flesh, has the same 

 dimensions in height and width as the ordinary high-quarter can, but 

 is 1 inch longer. The larger fish (7 and 8 inches long), which at certain 

 times are the only ones obtainable, can be packed more economically 

 in this can. One of the most striking features in the preparation of 

 sardines is the enormous waste of edible material caused by packing 

 such fish in the common quarter oil size can (PL XX, fig. 2). Fish 

 7 and 8 inches long were cut back in different ways to properly fill 

 the suggested higher and longer can and the ordinary low-quarter 

 can (PL XXI). To fit the new type of can the 7-inch fish is cut 

 directly back of the gills, with the tail trimmed, thus eliminating all 

 waste of edible material. If the tail is not trimmed, a small piece 

 of edible material is lost in cutting (PL XXI, fig. 1). In cutting fish 

 of this size to fit the ordinary quarter oil can, a large amount is wasted 

 (PL XXI, fig. 1, central figure). Practically half of this waste may 

 be saved by trimming the tail of the fish when packing in the low- 

 quarter can. 



With 8-inch fish no waste occurs when the tail is trimmed and the 

 fish cut to fit in the larger can (PL XXI). When the tail is not 

 trimmed a certain amount of waste results (PL XXI, fig. 2). 

 When cut according to present practice, tail untrimmed, to pack in the 

 ordinary low-quarter oil can, practically one-half, and the best meaty 

 portion of the fish, is discarded. By trimming the tail and cutting to 

 pack in the ordinary quarter size can, nearly one-half of this waste 

 can be saved. The amount thus saved is practically the same as that 

 obtained by cutting, with the tails untrimmed, to pack in the sug- 

 gested longer can. A greater saving is effected by the use of this can 

 with the 8-inch fish than with the 7-inch fish. 



The saving in material which m&j be obtained by the use of a can 

 to fit the fish, rather than cutting the fish to fit the can, is strikingly 

 shown in Plates XXII and XXIII, where the determination of the 

 amount of waste was actually made on a number of fish 8 inches long, 

 cut in the manner described to pack in the longer can and in the 

 ordinary quarter oil size can. Figure 1, Plate XXII, shows the mini- 

 mum waste, 19 per cent, of heads, and a portion of the tails only, 

 of fish which had been cut and the tails trimmed to pack in the high- 

 quarter long can. Fish cut in this manner will pack five to the can, 

 with no waste of edible material. 



