MAINE SARDINE INDUSTRY. 35 
have been too long in dry salt, itis customary to hold them in weak 
pickle for a short time after they reach the factory, to remove the 
excess of salt before they are started through the process. Part of 
the salt also is removed when they are steamed (p. 47). 
According to the best practice, the fish are not allowed to remain 
excessively long in pickle after they have reached the cannery, over- 
night, for example. Held in pickle for from 6 to 10 hours, they 
become soft, the bellies often breaking away, and they acquire a 
peculiar, dull, leached appearance. Held too long in dry salt the 
fish, particularly those that are small and lean, become dry, hard, and 
brittle, with a tendency to break transversely during the steaming 
and drying processes, in which case they are said to-be “‘burned by 
salt’’ (Pl. XIV, fig. 2). Fish treated in either way are very unde- 
sirable for canning. 
Since it is impossible to make even a fair grade of sardines from 
fish which have been excessively salted or pickled, it is essential that 
the canner should constantly guard against excessive salting and 
pickling of the fish. 
In order to obtain information which would be helpful in carrying 
out this step of the canning process, an extensive investigation of the 
pickling and salting of fish was undertaken. 
COMPOSITION OF Satt USED. 
Salt used in pickling and salting fish is said to vary in effectiveness 
with its calcium and magnesium content, one of a low content pene- 
trating the tissues of the fish better than those high in these con- 
stituents. Samples of three kinds of salt used in the Maine industry 
during 1913 and 1914 were analyzed, with the results shown in 
Table 12. 
TaBLE 12.—Composition of salt used in salting and pickling the fish. 
~ 
Determination. American. | Liverpool. | Trapani. 
IMOISGUTC Bar ee tra acit sae ace sec an sto ness Se ee Se lca ee per-cent.. 1.57 4.16 3. 44 
SOLU len TM WAC R Ae iy se eee ee ati 2 Ue anes OA down: 2 -17 .14 
Calesumichloridt (CaA@ls) is oye aeice ascites eee dor .94 . 46 . 87 
Mapriesiumuchiorid @Me@ls)s 25 2 ces = ese aoe Cee nae eee doles: . 09 .16 1. 04 
Sodium sulphate (Na:SO,4)....------.-.-.--------.----------- dora 1.61 7 6. 1. 42 
Patassimichloridi GMC) yo. 5-26 25. ses eee aae ee ee doers 2522 4. 03 . 40 
Sodiimichlorrav@NaCh ys io sts. kee 22 ogee ass ie eee downs 93. 48 90. 33 92. 49 
+ bi boot sononounoeonod Kee SopobOO seSobbocssdcoscded do 100. 03 100. 07 
Bodine ealerid GNaCl)jon\drybasiss-s2s-- eee eee eee ee eres d 94. 97 94,21 95.78 
Hach contained but a small amount of calcium and magnesium. 
The Liverpool salt showed the highest water content and lowest cal- 
cium and magnesium content, and the American salt the lowest water 
content and highest salt (NaCl) content. It had but little over 1 
per cent of calctum and magnesium calculated as the chlorids. The 
Liverpool salt was used in the experimental work. 
