570 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



late years at a rate hitherto unknown.* Care has been 

 taken that the law of 1878 should be known on every 

 foreign market in time before its coming into vigour ; and 

 foreign dealers in the season of 1879 were fully aware that 

 there was no longer a Dutch official crown brand. Far from 

 showing a diffidence towards herring not bearing that mark, 

 they may be said to have ceased to mistrust Dutch fish 

 since the removal of a Government certificate, the fallacy 

 of which had been proved to satiety. Several markets, 

 where in the course of the present century Dutch cured 

 herring had ceased to appear, are now taking the article 

 with increasing eagerness. Prices, which under the brand 

 system had fallen below those of Scotch herring, are once 

 more steadily rising above them, as regards the better 

 descriptions of the article. The south of Germany is, as 

 formerly, the greatest market for Dutch pickle-herring, in 

 spite of the German tariff. Exports to Belgium have 

 much increased since a new treaty of commerce was 

 concluded with that power ; the United States have of late 

 years become a market of importance ; and the North 

 German markets, upon which we have in former parts of 

 this work seen Dutch herring predominant, are being, so to 

 say, re-conquered by the sheer force of the article's worth. 

 Stettin herring statistics are conclusive evidence to the 

 fact. No Dutch herring had been seen on that market 

 for [ years ; whereas the quantities brought in, and nearly 



* The Fishery Report for 1882 has not been published while this is 

 being written, and will not appear before a couple of months are over. 

 It should therefore be remembered that the above statements can be 

 backed by official statistics only as to the years including 1881. It 

 can, however, be stated now that the year 1882 has also been a very 

 favourable one as regards catch, exports, and prices. Dutch herring 

 fishers and dealers are now quite confident to sell the whole of their 

 produce at good prices, however fast the supply may increase. 



