122 CURING OR PREPARING SMOKED OR RED HERRINGS. 



The trade in smoked or red herrings was formerly much 

 more considerable than it now is. At almost all the 

 principal fishing stations large buildings were erected for 

 the purpose ; but, excepting at Yarmouth, the trade has 

 diminished considerably. This may be attributed to there 

 being no legislative enactments applied to the curing and 

 preparation of red herrings, in the same manner as applied 

 to the curing of British white herrings. The consequence 

 has been, that the purchaser can have no confidence in 

 the quality of the herrings nor in the size of the barrels, 

 and therefore merchants at home and abroad do not pur- 

 chase cargoes as merchandise, and the curers, as is the 

 practice at Yarmouth, must send the red herrings not used 

 in this country to foreign countries for sale on their own 

 account. 



In explanation of the preceding remarks, we have to 

 quote an extract of a letter from a house which had ven- 

 tured to purchase a cargo of herrings, to prove that neither 

 respectable names, nor even a judicious selecter can gua- 

 rantee the merchant who buys that the article intended 

 to be bought has been purchased : — 



" We think it fair to admit that we are thoroughly per- 

 suaded, although we are strong advocates for free trade 

 when it can be properly carried out, that the curing and 

 preparing of herrings is of such a complicated nature, 

 that, without the superintendence and care of the fishery 

 officer, mercantile transactions could not be carried on 

 safely to any considerable extent, and we shall give you an 

 exact account of our dear-bought experience to prove this. 



" We sent one of our fast-sailing coppered schooners 

 to one of the principal places for red herrings, to load a 

 cargo purchased by us. One of ourselves went and ex- 

 amined the different kinds of red herrings for sale in the 



