296 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



"Spent," or shotteii, those which have recently spawned ; 

 and " Mixed," consisting of inferior and perhaps broken 

 fish. The whole process of curing is carried on under 

 the supervision of the Scotch Fishery Board, or, to 

 speak more correctly, the Board of British White Her- 

 ring Fishery. This mode of cure is required by Act of 

 Parliament to be carried out under inspection ; and if 

 the result of the cure come up to a certain standard of 

 excellence, the curers can have, on payment of fourpence 

 per barrel, a Government brand j^laced on each barrel 

 so approved. The branding is quite optional on the 

 part of the curer ; but in either case the curing must 

 be open to inspection, and barrels of a particular size 

 must be used for packing the fish in. It is one of the 

 anomalies of the system, however, that although it is 

 absolutely forbidden to use barrels of otlier than a cer- 

 tain size, there is not the slightest restriction as to the 

 quality or condition of the fish to be packed in the barrel, 

 so long as the Government brand is not desired for it. 

 Any refuse fish may be cured and packed, but the barrel 

 must be of a certain size. There are four distinct brands 

 denoting the quality and description of fish cured ; but 

 the Crown full brand, given only to " full " fish properly 

 cured, is the one mainly in request. The advantages 

 and disadvantages of the branding system have been 

 often discussed, and we need say nothing more on the 

 well-worn subject, except that it appears to greatly 

 facilitate the sale of "" white herrings " in the Conti- 

 nental markets, where there is always a large demand 

 for fish cured in this manner. On the other hand, a 

 Government certificate of the quality of any particular 

 article of commerce is opposed to the policy of free trade 

 now adopted in tliis country. Branding is, however, 

 still in favour with a majority of the Scotch curers for 



