THE SARDINE INDUSTRY. 495 
Burnham & Morrill, of Portland, Me., to pack oil sardines, but that the enterprise had been aban- 
doned owing to the fact that they failed to put up a merchantable article, even though the best 
materials, including first quality olive oil, were used, and that the firm had informed themselves 
thoroughly of the French methods, a member of the company having personally investigated the 
modus operandi in France. From my experience I am led to believe that this failure resulted from 
no other cause than that of prolonged delay in the drying process. The time for drying should 
not exceed two hours if the fish are but slightly salted; beyond that time they decompose very 
rapidly, and will then vitiate the finest quality of oil, while difficulty is experienced in properly 
frying them after decomposition has begun, as they are apt to break in pieces under the influ- 
ence of the hot oil. The same effect also results from oversalting. For frying the fish I adopted 
strong sheet-iron pans about 6 feet in length, 24 feet wide, and 6 inches deep. These proved per- 
fectly suitable, and have been generally adopted by the different packers, with but slight devia- 
tions from the given dimensions. The wire baskets in which the fish are placed for immersion in 
the oil are nearly square and suited to the width of the pan, which rests over an open fire, while 
it is protected from the direct action of the flame by a piece of sheet-iron of proper length and 
thickness. Wood is used for fuel in the furnace, which is built of common brick. The fire-place 
underruns the whole length of the pan. The oil for frying, when of proper heat, will evaporate 
the water from the fish, which will rise to the surface when sufficiently cooked. 
‘Tn the early spring of 1879 I dissolved my connection with Messrs. Wolff & Reessing, and 
associated myself with Messrs. Martin & Balkam, of Eastport, and with Messrs. Rosenstein 
Brothers, of New York. The new firm was known as the American Sardine Company, and property 
was at once purchased at Eastport, where our first factory was put up. I make mention of this 
change simply because under this new firm a very important. change was made in the manner of 
preparing the little fishes for sardines by a method not previously employed in this country. This 
method, which has proved thoroughly satisfactory, is vastly superior to the old process of first 
drying the fish and then frying them in oil. It differs in many particulars from that employed by 
the French, and we have secured a patent for it. By our method the fish are placed on frames of 
wire-work and subjected to the action of live steam in a steam-box and then baked or broiled on 
the same frames in an oven furnished with a revolving reel. By this process, it will be perceived, 
we do away with the drying process altogether. The steaming requires but a few minutes, and 
can be performed as soon as the fish have been washed frcm the salt or pickle and spread on the 
wire frames. The whole process of steaming and baking the fish takes only 10 to 15 minutes, and 
we are thus enabled to pack fish perfectly sweet and fresh, while by the old process the drying of 
the fish takes up from 5 to 20 hours, according to the state of the weather and the character of the 
drying-rooms. The fish as taken from the weirs vary greatly in size, aud generally but a small 
portion are of suitable size for oil sardines, although at times they run quite uniform for that pur- 
pose, while again, particularly in the spring, they run rather too small even for oil sardines. For 
the purpose of utilizing the larger fish, which, on account of their size, are not suitable for oil sar- 
dines, larger cans are made, and the fish are put up in a mustard or spiced sauce in handsomely 
decorated cans, and sold as mustard and spiced sardines. They are prepared in exactly the same 
manner as those to be packed in oil up to the time when they are ready for the cans. The demand 
for these fish preparations has so far rapidly increased, and they form quite a relish for the family 
table, picnics, excursion parties, &c. They, no doubt, if properly put up, will find their way to 
foreign markets; in fact, a few are now being exported.” 
OTHER SPECIES USED FOR CANNING PURPOSES.—From the beginning of the experiments in 
1875 to.the present time the different firms engaged in the sardine industry have kept constantly 
