76 BULLETIN" 196, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



and from 140 to 150 meshes wide. (A mesh is three-quarters of an inch, giAdng a 

 ■width of 105 to 112 inches.) The net apparatus for handling the seine consists of a 

 stake Avith special pulleys near the bottom, so that the seine may be drawTi fi-om below 

 without a tendency to raise it off the ground. 



The boat equipment for catching shrimp is essentially the same as for handling 

 oysters, so that they are used interchangeably. The seine takes the place of the 

 dredges and windlass, and the crew is usually made up of five or six men. Each boat 

 will carry about 140 barrels of iced shrimp. 



Shrimp are weighed instead of measured, a barrel being 200 pounds. The pay for 

 catching is $3.50 per barrel in the fall and $4 in the spring. The fall mn is the more 

 certain catch and requires less ice, which makes the difference in the schedule of 

 prices. 



^^Tien the shrimp are brought to the dock they are stored in ice until ready to use. 

 The ice makes the peeling easier and is necessary to prevent spoilage. The removal 

 of the head and shell is known as "peeling " the shrimp, and this is done for all canned 

 shrimp. The head and thorax break from the heavy tail with ease and a slight squeeze 

 will separate the fleshy portion from the shell. This work is done rapidly; the pay 

 for peeling is about 1 cent per pound. The peeled shrimp are thoroughly washed in 

 two or more changes of water and are then ready for blanching. The blanching con- 

 sists in boiling the shrimp in salt water, which is done by suspending them in a wire 

 basket in the boiling brine. The time of the blanch is usually about four minutes 

 for the wet pack and five minutes for the dry pack. The salt in the brine is in the 

 proportion of about 1 pound per gallon of water. Up to the time the shrimp go into 

 the blanch they are white or slightly gray in color"; the boiling in the brine causes 

 them to become bright pink or red. 



The shrimp are turned out upon trays having wire netting. As soon as cool they 

 are filled into cans by hand, each can being weighed. The shrimp are all packed in 

 either No. 1 or No. 1^ cans, the former having 4J ounces and the latter 9 ounces. There 

 is no attempt at grading. 



Shrimp are put up in what are known as dry and wet packs. In the dry pack no 

 liquor is added, while in the wet pack brine is used. The process for dry shrimp is 1 

 hour at 240° F. or 4 hours at 212° F. for No. 1 cans, and 75 minutes at 240° F. and 4 

 hours at 212° F. for No. 1^ cans. The process for wet shrimp is 11 minutes for No. 1 and 

 12 minutes at 240° F. for No. 1| cans. 



The fill of 4J and 9 ounces in the No. 1 and No. 1^ cans has the appearance of being 

 light weight or slack filled. Experience has shown, however, that close filling causes 

 matting of the shrimp and an unsightly appearance. The "wet-packed shrimp are 

 preferred by those who are familiar with the fresh article. They have better texture, 

 odor, and taste than the dry packed. A barrel of good shrimp will pack 190 No. 1 

 cans or 100 cans of No. U. 



Formerly shrimp were put up in bulk with a preservative. These were headless 

 (only the head and thorax removed, the shell left on), a.nd since that method of pres- 

 ervation is no longer approved, very few shrimp are obtained upon the market other 

 than canned. Some pickled headless shrimp are put up in 1 to 5 gallon cans for hotels. 

 These are boiled in strong brine for several minutes and put up in a sati.u"ated salt 

 solution. They keep, but are very salty, and as it takes a long time to freshen them 

 they are not available for immediate use. 



Shrimp are difficult to keep. Put up in the ordinary tin can they will blacken in 

 a short time and vnll attack the tin, making minute holes. Success in canning shrimp 

 was dependent upon lining the can. This was first done by Mr. G. W. Dunbar, of 

 New Orleans, in 1875. The method consisted in inserting a sack in the can and filling ; 

 it with the shrimp to prevent their coming in direct contact with the tin. Later a j 

 thin veneering of wood, com husks, parchment paper, asphaltum, and enamels were , 

 used. Parchment paper is used by all packers, with possibly one exception, at this ■ 

 time; in this case wood veneer is used. 



