MAINE SARDINE INDUSTRY. 61 
in the packing room, at the end of the steaming and drying process. 
The oil was run into each can from a pipette graduated to deliver the 
proper quantity. After allowing enough time to permit all the oil 
possible to soak into the fish the covers were sealed on the cans. 
Different types of sealing machines were used, but no provision was 
made to guard against leaks, such as the use of a gasket or by 
soldering. 
In putting up the fish used for lot 4 a small patented packing 
device! was used. Some of the advantages claimed for this device, 
however, could not be checked in this experiment, owing to leakage 
of oil from the cans. 
After these lots had been packed, oiled, processed, and allowed to 
stand for from 2 to 3 months, the contents of two representative 
cans from each lot were ground and thoroughly mixed. The oil 
was wiped out as completely as possible from the interior of the cans 
with the ground meat, and every effort was made to have each 
sample uniform. Three separate samples of the two cans from each 
pack were analyzed, the water, fat, and total nitrogen analyses being 
made in triplicate. The percentage amount of oil recovered, and 
the total food value per can, expressed in calories, were calculated 
from these results. In calculating the weight of oil added, the 
specific gravity of cottonseed oil was taken as 0.925. To determine 
the average weight of the fish per can, several lots of 100 fish each 
were weighed and an average taken. The results of these analyses 
are shown in Table 27. 
The cans of lot 1 to which oil had been added at the rate of 1 and 
14 quarts per case contained only a trace of visible oil when opened. 
Those to which oil had been added at the rate of 2 quarts per case 
were less than one-quarter full of free oil, while those having oil 
added at the rate of 24 quarts per case were less than half full. 
Cans to which the oil had been added at the rate of 3 quarts per 
case showed a reasonable amount, being about five-eighths full. 
At the rate of 34 quarts, the cans were practically seven-eighths full, 
while those that were packed at the rate of 4 quarts per case were 
found to be practically full of oil. 
The figures for the recovery of the added oil vary widely, owing 
to loss of oil at the time of sealing full cans and to loss on standing 
through imperfect seams. In all instances the percentage amount 
of oil recovered when the sardines were oiled at the rate of 4 quarts 
per case was low. These figures agree with observations made at 
the time of sealing and with the experience of the packers that 
when the cans are full, or almost full, of oil a great deal of it is ex- 
pelled when the lid is forced Cown by the chuck during the sealing 
operation. 
1U.S8, Letters Patent 1,206,977. 
