482 



HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHEEIES. 



tbe same, shall be made of good sound boards sawed and well seasoned, the sides, top, and bottom 

 of not less than half inch, and the ends of not less than three-quarter-inch boards, securely nailed, 

 and shall be 17 inches in length, 11 inches in breadth, and G inches in depth, in the clear, inside. 



"SEC. 51. Each box of alewives or herrings inspected shall be branded on the top by the 

 inspecting officer with the first letter of his Christian name, the whole of his surname, the name of 

 the town where it was inspected, with the addition of Mass., and also with the quality of number 

 one or number two. Herrings taken on the coasts of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador, or 

 Magdalen Islands, and brought into this State, shall also be branded with the name of the place 

 or coast where taken. 



" SEC. 52. The fees for inspecting, packing, and branding shall be 5 cents for each box, which 

 shall be paid by the purchaser; and the inspector-general may require from his deputies 1 cent 

 for each box inspected, packed, and branded by them." 



As has been already stated, many of these laws, though never repealed, are not regarded by 

 the fishermen, who suit their own convenience as to the size of the boxes and the quality of the 

 fish put up. Few are ever examined by the inspectors, and the returns of these officers are so 

 incomplete as to render the statistics obtained from their reports utterly worthless. Few of the 

 fish now seen in the markets are branded, but smoked-herring dealers have adopted various trade 

 names for fish of different size and quality. 



The following table gives a list of the names recognized, together with th number of fish con- 

 tained in a box of average size. 



The principal brands are scaled, tuclctails, lengthwise, number ones, and Magdalens, the others 

 being less generally recognized. 



7. MARKETS AND PRICES. 



MARKETS. When the Magdalen fishery was at its height the smoked herring were marketed 

 by the same vessels that brought them from those islands. On arriving home the vessel proceeded 

 to her wharf to unload her cargo, remaining until the fish were smoked and boxed, after which 

 they were stored in the hold and she set sail for market. The principal dealers at that time resided 

 in Boston, these handling the greater part of the fish prepared within the limits of the United 

 States. Many of them were engaged in the export trade, and in addition sent large quantities of 

 herring annually to the different portions of the South, a majority of those consumed there being 

 purchased by the large planters for distribution among their slaves. The trade continued to 

 increase until the close of the Rebellion, when the emancipation of the negroes interfered seriously 

 with it, and for a number of years parties engaged in the business lost heavily, owing not only to 

 the decreased demand, but also to the improper method of curing and the poor quality of the fish 

 placed upon the market. During the abnormal demand the fishermen became anxious to realize 

 the high prices, and for this reason they often put their fish upon the market in a half cured con- 



