THE SMOKED-HERRING INDUSTRY. 483 
dition, the result being that many of them spoiled before reaching their destination. This in many 
cases resulted in a direct loss to the fishermen and dealers, as country purchasers refused to pay 
for them. Buta greater injury to the trade was found in the fact that the former customers find- 
ing the herring so inferior in quality sought other articles of food as a substitute. 
Several years uf depression followed, many who had formerly engaged extensively in the busi- 
ness allowing their smoke-houses to remain idle rather than incur the risk of loss. Within the last 
few years, however, the trade has been somewhat revived, and a better feeling exists among the 
dealers, while the demand in New England and iu certain portions of the West is gradually 
increasing. Boston, however, has lost much of her former influence, and New York now ranks as 
the important market, handling over half of the herring smoked in the Quoddy River region. 
Prices.— In the early part of the century, according to Mr. McGregor, the price realized by the 
fishermen for the regular half-bushel boxes varied from $1 to $1.25. From 1830 to 1850, according 
to the same authority, the average price was about $1.10 for scaled herring, 80 cents for number 
ones, and 35 to 40 cents for number twos. From this time the price was gradually reduced, though 
perhaps not in proportion to thesize of the box, for during the “ war-period” boxes no longer than 
those employed at present sold as high as 30 to 40 cents. From this date the price (taking the 
paper currency as a standard) decreased rapidly for a number of years, and fish of good quality 
often sold as low as 7 and 8 cents per box. Later, with the revival of the trade, it again improved, 
until, in 1880, it ranged between 12 and 25 cents, according to.the quality of the fish, good scaled 
herring averaging fully 22 cents, while the lower grades usually sold at 15 or 16 cents. 
8. FURTHER PREPARATION OF SMOKED HERRING. 
EUROPEAN METHODS.— Most of the smoked herring are eaten with no further preparation than 
that received in the smoke-house at the hands of the fishermen; but recently attempts have been 
made by enterprising European houses to render them yet more palatable before finally placing 
them upon the market. In several European countries smoked herring are now packed in oil in 
small tin cans which, when properly filled, are at once hermetically sealed. 
In Finland, according to Mr. Wallem, the round fish are salted just enough to give them flavor, 
after which they are lightly smoked. The heads, tails, and entrails are next removed, the roe 
being left in. They are then placed in tin boxes, just long enough to receive them and large 
enough to contain about twenty small fish, and covered with olive oil. When filled, the boxes 
are carefully sealed and sent to the bath, where they remain in boiling water for some time, and 
after venting and cooling are ready for the market. As far as known, nothing is done in this 
line within the limits of the United States, though other kinds of smoked fish are sometimes 
canned. 
A less praiseworthy innovation, and one which we are glad to say is unknown among the 
dealers of the United States, has been made by European ingenuity, which, not content with the 
slow process of smoking, has at last discovered a way by which the fish can be prepared without 
the aid of smoke. Mr. Wallem alludes briefly to the subject, saying: 
“There are manufacturers who injure the smoking business by manufacturing smoked herring 
which have not been near smoke. The mystery or humbug consists in covering the herring with 
a specially prepared yellowish-brown varnish or oil which imparts to the herring a little of a 
smoky flavor, and sometimes the imitation is so good as to deceive even experienced persons.” 
This imitation, however, can hardly represent the hard herring of our country. It must rather be 
. intended as a counterfeit of the bloater, which is discussed below in this chapter. 
AMERICAN METHODS.— Little is done in the further preparation of the herring within the 
” 
