PRESERVATION OF FISHERY PRODUCTS FOR FOOD. 547 
it a burnt look. About 1 peck of Turks Island or Liverpool salt to 160 pounds of eggs 
usually gives the best results. 
On removal from the salt tbe roes are spread out on boards and exijosed to tbe 
sun for about one week, being taken in at night to prevent the moisture and dews 
from falling on them, and every morning they are turned over to thoroughly aid in 
drying them. Care must be taken to prevent them from becoming wet after the 
drying has begun, and upon the first indication of a rain they should be placed under 
shelter. Sometimes after one day’s exposure other boards are laid on top of the roes 
so as to slightly compress them. When properly cured, they are 4 to 8 inches long, 2 
to 4 inches wide, and one-half to two-thirds of an inch thick, and vary in color from a 
yellowish brown to dark red, according to the freshness of the roe, carefulness of hand- 
ling, degree of saltness, and length of drying. The roes are then sent en masse to 
market in baskets, boxes, or the like, and sold from 40 to 60 cents per dozen, according 
to the size and carefulness in curing. 
In the West Indies and in many countries bordering on the Mediterranean Sea, 
mullet roes are prepared by methods similar to those emi)loyed in this country. In 
Greece almost the same process is used, except that when dried the roes are generally 
dipped in melted beeswax. Those obtained from Tunis are very highly esteemed, 
about 150,000 being sold in Italy each year at about 20 cents each. 
Mr. Day states: 
In Italy, the hard roe of mullet is converted into cakes termed bolarge or bolargo, which are 
prepared by washing and sprinkling with salt and pressing between two boards. This may be 
smoked or sun-dried and is considered a good appetizer to promote thirst. But in India the same 
article is somewhat similarly treated and considered excellent for curries. 
Eeaders of Pepys will recall the eating of bolargo in England, as the gossip says : 
Sir W. Penn came out in his shirt on to his leads and there we stayed talking and singing and 
eating bolargo, bread and butter till twelve at night, it being moonshine, and so to bed very nearly 
fuddled. 
SALTED SHAD ROES. 
A small quantity of shad roes are brine-salted in North Carolina, Virginia, and 
Maryland each year, these being so prepared only when the state of the fresh-fish 
market or the transportation facilities makes it necessary to pickle the female fish. 
The roes are removed from the fish in dressing the latter, care being taken not to cut 
or injure the roe bags. As soon as practicable thereafter they are washed by stirring 
them with the hands in tubs of water, and are then placed in tubs of strong brine with 
dry Liverpool salt sprinkled among them and at the top. Every 12 hours during the 
ensuing 5 days the roes are gently stirred to separate them from each other and to have 
them uniformly salted. The sixth day they are removed from the pickle, drained, and 
placed in suitable packages, with dry Turks Island salt sprinkled at the bottoui, through 
the roes, and at the top. The package should then be filled with strong brine made 
of Liverpool salt. A variety of packages are used, the most convenient being 20-pound 
kits, which when filled with salted roes sell usually for about $2 each. 
EGGS OF COD, HADDOCK, ETC. 
It is somewhat remarkable that the roes of cod, haddock, and other ground fish 
are not more extensively used for commercial purposes in this country. A lax-ge trade 
exists in cod roes in Norway, the eggs being salted and shipped to France to be used 
