THE SMOKED-HERRING INDUSTRY. 479 
ing begins. When another lot is to be hung, the fires must be extinguished and the windows and 
ventilators thrown open to allow the smoke to escape and enable the fishermen to remain in the 
bays for the purpose of hanging the balance of the catch. This process is continued until the 
smoke-house is full, when the fires are again lighted and usually kept burning until the fish are 
thoroughly smoked. 
FIrEes.—The fires are differently arranged in different smoke-houses, their relative position de- 
pending largely upon the ideas of the particular fisherman that is interested in the work. The 
usual plan is to collect logs, 4 to 8 inches in diameter and 3 or 4 feet long, and arrange them, with 
the proper kindling, in heaps at equal distances from each other and a few feet from the side of 
the building. From six to twelve of these heaps are arranged in the average smoke-house, two or 
three logs being placed together with a quantity of smaller material. When all is in readiness the 
fires are lighted and kept burning day and night until the fish have been considerably affected by 
the smoke. Owing to the closeness of the air the fires burn very slowly, it being found desirable 
to keep the fish as cool as possible, and if allowed to burn briskly the heat generated by the 
flames would destroy every fish in the smoke-house in a few hours. When there is a tendency to 
burn freely the fishermen separate the logs and cover them with ashes, to a greater or less extent, 
to smother the flame; but ordinarily they are allowed to remain near together, some one visiting 
the smoke-house every few hours to care for them. At times some or all of the fires are allowed 
to go out, as, after the fish are partially smoked, the absence of fire for a day or two is not thought 
to effect their quality. Generally, however, the fishermen are anxious to smoke them as rapidly 
as possible, in order that the house may be cleared for another lot. 
Woons.—Different woods are used for smoking in different countries. Some claim that the 
selection of particular kinds is an important matter, while others insist that the quality of the 
wood has little if anything to do with the flavor or value of the products. In France, white birch 
is commonly used; in England, Scotland, and Holland, the chips and sawdust of oak are said to 
be favored; in Norway, heather and juniper are extensively used, though birch and alder are em- 
ployed to a limited extent. In the United States various kinds are selected, pine logs that have 
been soaked in salt water being preferred by a majority of the fishermen. These are usually 
picked up along the beach by the fishermen, and are claimed to be superior to other wood, as the 
salt absorbed while in the water renders them less inflammable, causing them at the same time to 
last much longer and to give off a greater volume of smoke. When the smoking process is nearly 
complete some of the fishermen build a fire of oak, for the purpose of giving a higher color to the 
fish. In most localities, however, the question of woods is not considered important, the only poiut 
being to have a kind that will burn slowly and at the same time yield a large amount of smoke. 
TIME REQUIRED FOR SMOKING.—The time required in smoking varies considerably, depending 
upon the size of the smoke-house, the size and condition of the fish, and the weather. Small fish 
in dry weather can be cured in two weeks, while large herring often require fully six weeks, and 
those put up for exportation to warmer countries are smoked for even a longer period. The time 
of curing is also affected by the position which the fish occupies in the smoke-house. Those nearest 
the fires and about the sides of the building, where there is a better circulation, are cured first, 
while those in the center are cured more slowly. It sometimes happens, when the fish are hung 
very closely, or when it is desired to hasten the curing, that the lower and outer fish are removed 
as soon as cured, thus exposing the central mass to the direct action of the smoke. Many claim 
that the best fish are those taken from the upper bays, as these are farthest removed from the fire 
and the smoke is thoroughly cooled before reaching them. 
MAGDALEN HERRING.—The Magdalen herring, already referred to, are larger and, at the same 
