PKESEKVATION OF FTSHEKY PRODUCTS FOPv FOOD. 
397 
obtaiiiiible only tlirongU long experience. The process of curing hake, haddock, cask, 
and pollock, except as above noted, differs in no particular from that applied to cod. 
They are dressed and split in exactly the same inanner and require about the same 
amount of salting and similar treatment in every particular. Hake are not so likely 
to sunburn as cod and need not be protected from the sun. Pollock turn somewhat 
dark, and for that reason are not popular, but among connoisseurs are highly esteemed, 
especially when slack-salted. 
The loss in weight in dressing and curing cod and other ground ffsh for the 
domestic market ranges from .50 to (35 per cent, according to the species, the season of 
the year, and the extent of the salting and drying. The loss, is greatest in case of 
haddock and cod and least in curing cusk and hake. Generally, large ffsh decrease 
more than small ones and large Shore decrease more than large Georges. From a 
number of records made during different .seasons, the following summary is obtained, 
showing the average quantity of each kind of ffsh required to make a gross <umital 
(114 pounds) of dried fish suited for the New England markets.; 
Species 
Pounds required to inalve a quintal 
cured. 
Kound. 
Prom the 
knife. 
Prom tlie 
butt. 
Haddock 
Pounds. 
Pounds. 
206 
Pounds. 
133 
Cod 
288 
193 
131 
Pollock 
280 
184 
130 
Hake 
258 
190 
131 
Cusk 
246 
178 
132 
Fresh split cod ready for curing contains about SO per cent of water and IJ per 
cent of salt. A large percentage of this water is withdrawn by salting, some by drying, 
and a much smaller quantity by compression, the latter process also removing a small 
quantity of the salt in the form of pickle. The resulting product, when prepared for 
the domestic trade, contains about 51 per cent of water and 19^ per cent of salt. The 
stockfish of Norway contains about 17 per cent of water and 14 per cent of salt. 100 
pounds of cod, as they come from the water, will weigh about (3(3.9 pounds, dressed 
ready for salting, of which about 53 pounds represent water and 1 pound represents 
the weight of salt. The process of curing for domestic trade adds about (3.2 pounds of 
salt and removes about 34.1 j)ounds of water, of which 31.1 pounds are removed by 
the salting and 3 pounds by the pressing and drying. This results in 38.8 pounds of 
dry-salted ffsh, of which 18.9 pounds represents water and 7.2 pounds salt. By con- 
tinuing the drying process and removing more water the keeping qualities of the fish 
are improved, but since it decreases the quality of the flavor as well as the weight of 
the fish, and adds to the cost of curing, it is not desirable, unless the ffsh aie to be 
shipped to a warm climate and held there for a long time. To make a quintal of 
domestic-cured codfish requires 193 pounds of split fish or 288 pounds of round fish, 
whereas to make an equal (piantity of fish suitable for export to Brazil requires about 
350 pounds split, and for 114 pounds of Norway stockfish about 474 pounds of split 
fish or 708 pounds of round fish are re(iuired. 
The cost of the labor, salt, etc., varies in accordance with the fish being handled, 
the condition of the weather, the amount ol‘ drying re(iuired, the facilities for hand- 
ling the fish, etc., but generally runs from 38 to 50 cents per quintal, of which 15 to 
