This shows the packing process going on in the warehouse. A standard case of salmon consists of forty-eight one-pound cans. Everyone recognizes that the best fishing grounds may be depleted of fish after a period of time if they are not restocked. With the enormous consumption of salmon increasing each year it is easy to see that the salmon supply would in a few years become exhausted if it were not replenished either by natural or artificial propagation. It is well known that some other species of food fishes are becoming greatly reduced in numbers by constant fishing. In these cases natural propagation does not supply enough young, or not enough reach maturity to restore the species. Our government, both federal and state, has for a long time recognized the necessity of artificial propagation in assisting nature to replenish exhausted streams and lakes with fish. The federal government through the United States Bureau of Fisheries has established more than thirty hatcheries in different parts of the country and annually several billions of fishes are handled. Hatching and transplanting are carried on almost coninuously, stocking new waters or maintaining the supply by planting in streams already provided. Our own state has twelve fish stations and hatcheries. The hatchery at Bonneville is known as the Central Station, and is the largest and best equipped.
This shows the actual canning. Women are largely employed in the canneries for this particular part of the work. They become very skillful and are able to make very good wages, the sum usually depending upon the number of crates they are able to fill per day. Tests for weight are made while the cans are being filled and if any are found under weight they must be refilled. The lidding process follows. Some years ago the lids were placed by hand, then the cans run over a belt through a machine which soldered the lids. In late years most of the canneries have been provided with a new machine which entirely eliminates the soldering process. The lids are placed and crimped on automatically by one stroke of this machine. It is a most remarkable labor saving device, doing the work much more quickly and efficiently than the old soldering method. The cans are then stacked in crates and placed in a retort heated to the proper temperature. This drives the excess water and gases from the flesh, but the temperature is not hot enough to drive off the rich oils. The lids are then punctured and after the water and gas are freed the small holes are soldered and the cans again placed in a retort and the cooking process takes place. After cooking, the cans are cooled and stacked in the warehouse to await the lacquering, labeling and boxing for shipment.
