THE FRENCH SARDINE INDUSTRY. 
17 
THE CANNING INDUSTRY. 
THE FACTORIES. 
The construction of tne first sardine-canning establishments dates from about 
1845, since which time the growth of the business has been almost uninterrupted. 
The factories gave to the sardine fishery a great impetus, and to-day are the chief 
supporters of the very extensive fishing operations in the Bay of Biscay. 
The factories are generally large stone structures surrounded by a stone wall 
and inclosing a courtyard. They cost from 30,000 to 75,000 francs or more to build 
and equip. Their capacity varies greatly. Some are able to utilize upward of a 
quarter of a million fish daily. The _y earhy output of individual establishments is 
from 300,000 to 4,000,000 or 5,000,000 boxes. They pay no special license tax, 
but have the same taxes as other manufacturing establishments, based on number of 
employees and size of plant. The output is not taxed. 
In no lino of the business is there any standard to be followed, except what the 
trade demands and the interests of the canners dictate. There is no government or 
other official inspection of the canned products. 
The sardine canners, not unnaturally, are averse to naving strangers enter their 
works and are circumspect in granting permission to do so. Almost every canner 
has some slight peculiarity in method of preparation which he thinks advantageous 
and worth being kept to himself. As the factories are surrounded usually by high 
stone walls, and entrance is oidy through a guarded gate, a stranger might remain in 
some of the fishing villages for a long time without being able, from personal inspec- 
tion, to learn anything about the canning methods. 
No complete statistics for the -canning industry are available, but it may be 
stated that over 100 factories are operated, and not less than 15,000 persons, mostly 
women and girls, are employed therein. Concarneau and Douarnenez have more 
factories than any other localities, the number operated in 1900 being 29 and 25, 
respectively. A large number of the canning establishments are owned or leased by 
companies having headquarters at Bordeaux and Nantes. 
CANNING PROCESSES AND MATERIALS. 
When the fish are taken to the factory they are spread on large tables and sprin- 
kled with a little salt. The women who remove the heads and viscera either stand or 
sit, and perform their work with great rapidity. They hold the fish in the left hand 
and with the right hand press the knife into the back and side of the head of the fish, 
using the. right thumb for a counter pressure. The head is pulled or torn off, rather 
than cut, and the esophagus, stomach, and most of the intestines go with it. The 
body drops into one basket, the refuse parts into another. The refuse is disposed of 
to farmers for fertilizing their fields. 
Immediately after evisceration the fish are sorted by size into large tubs (half 
oil barrels holding 250 liters) containing a brine strong enough to float a potato. 
Here they are left for half an hour to an hour, depending on their size, quality, and 
the condition of the weather. They are then placed in small wicker baskets and taken 
to the yard, where they are washed in either fresh or salt water (salt preferred) while 
in the baskets, each basket being put through two waters. This washing, which takes 
but a few seconds, removes from the fish any undissolved salt, loose scales, and dirt. 
F. C. B. 1901—2 
