MAINE SARDINE INDUSTRY. 117 



irregularity of the catch, and the time of delivery is governed by the 

 stage of tide at which the weirs can be seined. Fish beyond the 

 capacity of the cannery are often brought in by the boatman, who is 

 anxious to earn on each trip as large a fare as possible. 



The universal application of regulations prohibiting the packing 

 of "feedy" fish, strictly observed, will necessitate the building of 

 pounds on a majority of the weirs. In the interest of efficiency, the 

 elimination of waste, and the improvement of quality it would seem 

 wise to extend the idea a little further and use nothing but impounded 

 fish in packing sardines. Following this, it would be desirable if each 

 cannery were on a capacity basis, taking no more fish than can be 

 properly handled, so as to make a neat, attractive product, according 

 to specifications adopted for the particular grade packed and which 

 can be sealed in a working day of 10 hours. 



CARTONS FOR STANDARD SARDINES. 



Sardines are packed in tins with the brand name and design 

 printed on the cover or sides, and also in plain tins. The practice of 

 cartoning the standard grade of sardines packed in plain tins has 

 increased rapidly in recent years. The cartons provide a place for 

 the key in the key can goods and conceal unattractive, unclean 

 cans. This is an expensive method of attaching the key and over- 

 coming the difficulty of cleaning the cans. It seems a great waste 

 of effort and material to place the so-called "standard" grade of 

 sardines in cartons. According to present practices, all the different 

 brands of the standards in cartons are prepared from the same grade 

 of standard goods. Although cartoning or wrapping the fancy and 

 extra fancy sardines may be justifiable, the margin of profit in the 

 standard grade does not justify this additional cost on manufacture. 

 It should be put elsewhere in the process to bring about an improve- 

 ment in quality. It is hoped that the sardine canners will be able 

 to cooperate in this feature of packing sardines, which, through 

 competition, has developed into a wasteful and useless practice, to 

 the end that it may be completely eliminated. This should prove 

 particularly desirable now that labor and paper are high and scarce, 

 and will be an advance in the direction of conservation and 

 efficiency. 



IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION OF SARDINES (1910-1916). 



Table 43, prepared from the Annual Reports on Commerce and 

 Navigation of the United States, shows the value of the importations 

 of sardines into the United States, for the years mentioned, from the 

 principal sardine-producing countries. An interesting feature in the 

 value of the sardine importations is the gradual decline in the impor- 

 tations of the French sardine and the increase in the value of the Nor- 

 wegian product during the years 1910 to 1915. Importations from 



