240 THE HISTORY OP DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



period not exceeding a fortnight, i.e. fix it at any day 

 between June loth and 24th. The power was granted for 

 two years, but renewed for three more in 1848 ; and 

 the anticipation term was extended to twenty-three 

 days in 1851 and 1854. Under these laws, the date on 

 which the first casting of herring-nets should be permitted 

 was fixed by Government on June loth in the years 

 1846-50, and on June 1st in the years 1851-55.* The 

 measure was not attended by any decided success. The 

 first experiments of early fishing were indeed successful ; 

 but in nearly all the following years the results were un- 

 satisfactory, and most shipowners returned to the observa- 

 tion of the ancient St. John's Day rule, finding the returns 

 of early fishing did not cover the additional expenses 

 necessitated by it, or compensate the disadvantage of 

 having to quit the spring hook-fishery, or kolvaart, at an 

 early date, whereas that business was generally most pro- 

 fitable in the latter part of May. The advisability of early 

 fishing for cure-herring was a point of pretty constant 

 debate in the course of the above-named years ; shipowners 

 generally advising to observe St. John's Day rule, in spite 

 of the concurrence by early Scotch herring, and dealers 

 urging early voyages because of that concurrence. Now 

 dealers, although represented both in the College for the 

 Grand Fishery and in the Salt-herring Shipowners' Asso- 

 ciation, were in a minority in both Boards ; and conse- 

 quently the College, after a few years' trial, advised against 



* Laws of May Qth, 1846 (Stbl. No. 35) ; May i8th, 1848 (Stbl. No. 

 21) ; May 2nd, 1851 (Stbl. No. 23) ; and April loth, 1854 (Stbl. No. 

 21). Decrees executive of these several laws, of May I2th, 1846 

 (Stbl. No. 41) ; May iQth, 1848 (Stbl. No. 24) ; May 8th, 1851 (Stbl. 

 No. 51) ; May 3rd, 1852 (Stbl. No. 21) ; April 28th, 1853 (Stbl. No. 

 24), and April 22nd, 1854 (Stbl. No. 70). 



