568 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



congenial spirit, but ultimately led to nothing, owing to 

 circumstances which it is unnecessary here to mention. 

 Dutch brands gradually lost most of their reputation ; and 

 the loss was the worse, as no unbranded herring was 

 exported as long as the brand existed, upon the representa- 

 tions of the dealers' correspondents abroad.* Thus, as a 

 fact, the brand, after having been for three centuries and a 

 half held on all hands to be the palladium of Holland's 

 greatness in the herring market, was now found out to be 

 the main stumbling-block in the path of its progress. 



The quality brands, or IA, 2 A, and 3 A marks, instituted in 

 1868, were given up in 1875! on account of the difficulties 

 just now exposed, and the simple brand in use till 1868, 

 stating, besides the year of the catch and the place of 

 curage, the herring's quality as full, " maatjes," or " ylen," 

 was reinstated. No change for the better ensued ; and the 

 Fishery Board, after taking the opinion of many consider- 

 able herring shipowners and dealers, in their report for 

 1875 earnestly advised to abolish the brand, without 

 waiting for England's co-operation. It was high time, in 

 the Board's opinion, for Government to stop warranting 

 the quality of an article of which it knew little or nothing, 

 to the detriment of trade in an important article of expor- 

 tation. The advice was followed, and a Bill for the 

 abolition of the official brand laid before Parliament in 

 June 1877. An intervening political crisis delayed the 

 measure for about a year ; and when adopted by Parlia- 

 ment it was too late to put it into operation for the herring- 



* Nearly none of the herring cured in bumboats was indeed 

 branded upon landing, but nearly the whole of the fish was carried to 

 Vlaardingen to be mixed up with the lugger-herring landed there, and 

 exported under crown-brand. 



t Royal Decree, March 2;th, 1875 (Stbl. No. 31). 



