[^^] THE SALTING OF HERRING. 49, | 



Filling the KEGS.-The further treatment of the herring, after thov 

 have been cured d.tlers, acconling- to whether they ha^ e bein cured on 

 shore or on board the vessels. We shall, therefore, brielly describe the 

 methods used by the Uu> n,odel countries in this respect/scotland and 



^cotlan^L* ^ym, the lish are ben,^. p.^t up, which is done un<lc>r 

 shelter, the k.^ is tilled so that several layers of lish protrude over the 

 cdo-e, and a lid specially made for the purpose is put on the top After 

 two or three days the fish have settled down,' when n.ore herring- of the 

 same kind are put in, care being- taken not to pack th3m too tightly 

 Ihe keg IS thereupon closed and laid on the side. Every second 01' 

 hud day ,t IS turned, until the fi.ial tilling- takes place. During- all 

 this tmie a constant lookout is kept lor leaks. Jf the leak is s"n-ill 

 It IS stopped up, and if this is impossible the herring are transferred to 

 other kegs lo obtain the official stamp the herring must have lain in 

 salt at east ten days, not counting in the salting day and the day of the 

 in.a h hug 11, after this period has elapsed, the herring arc to be ^ot 

 ivady tor shipping, the brine is allowed to run off through the bun.^- 

 .0 0, which IS then closed, one end of the keg is then opened, and, 

 ^^h le be.ng pressed, herring of the same kind, which hav<. been saltec 

 on the same day, are put in the keg. For pressing, either the ha.nls or 

 M common press is used. The object is partly to avoid ihe filin,..- i,, c,f 

 more l.sh at the place of destination, and partly to prevent th.> air Iron. 

 entering. At one time it was thought the superior quality of the Dutch 

 herring was owing to the circumstance that they were put up I,v men 

 .ml were therefore pressed more lirmly than those put up by ^omen' 

 ^^ hen a keg has received its full quota of lish it is closed, the hoops are 

 hammered down, and the firmness of the keg is subjected to another test 

 U blowing through a blow-pipe, which is inserted in a hole specially 



ght-fitting wooden peg. The keg is now laid on its side and some of 

 the original bloody brine is filled in until it begins to flow over 



It the fi^b are to be transferred to another keg, they are emptied out 

 washed in fresh water, and after the water haslowed off th^ i^^ p ^ 

 m other kegs with coarse Liverpool salt, and new brine, made of cle", 

 salt, IS filled in. To get the official stamp the c^cum must have be 



S;: CLV'' '^^'^-""^ I '"" ''' '"" ^"'^^^^ ^' ^-^1- -^^ ^-t^L d 

 at each end. ''' '" """" ^^ '"" '"'' ''''''' '' ^^"^ ^'«""^1 t'-' ^^^ 



iJ'l^'^ll^''"^ i« done on board the fishing vessels in the morn- 

 "g, paitl^ during and j,artly after the hauling in of the nets The 

 Uegs, into each of which is poured a bucketful of the bl ody b ue, .r 



^J!!!!i!i^:i!^^l^i^^^ After five to ten days the first filling in 



