64 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



from June to September ; sometimes they are caught about 

 Christmas. A hogshead of pilchards, well cured and 

 pressed, will hold 2500 to 3000 fish. The fresh fish weigh 

 about 6^ cwt, and the salt 3J cwt, but the weight of the 

 hogsheads when cured and pressed is reduced to about 4^ 

 cwt, including the weight usually allowed for the cask, 

 28 lbs. Ten thousand pilchards make a last. A hogs- 

 head is supposed to consist of eight baskets of fish, and 

 a basket contains about 400 ; but this number varies with 

 the size of the fish. The fish are sold by the long hundred 

 — 120. 



A new industry has been started in Cornwall within a 

 year or two, that of preserving small pilchards in oil in tins, 

 after the manner of sardines. The seat of the company's 

 operations is at Newlyn ; a Frenchman conducts the opera- 

 tions. The Cornish sardines grow in favour and demand 

 in London. Their flavour is considered quite equal to that 

 of the foreign fish, and their nutritive qualities greater ; 

 while the extra size of the box, and the liberal way in 

 which it is filled,_all tend to commend the home product. 



Large shoals of pilchards appeared off the coast of 

 Cork and Kerry during the year 1876, principally from 

 July to the erid of October, some as late as November. 

 They were in the greatest abundance off the Cork coast, 

 and in many places came close in to the shore, and 

 were captured by small seines drawn in upon the rocks. 

 No efforts have yet been made in Ireland to cure for the 

 continental markets, but some have been cured for home 

 consumption on various parts of the coast. By degrees 

 this fish is being regarded with more favour by the country 

 people, and if they continue to frequent the Irish coasts as 

 they have now done for some years, there is little doubt 

 that a considerable trade will result. 



