252 BUTCH METHOD OF CURING IJURRINGS. 



Dutch method green faggot-wood, that affords much fmoke and little flame.* 

 of catching and j_j ere t j rema j n |j[j tj r i e d, and properly fmoked, which ge- 

 curing herrings. J ' tL. , , t> , 



nerally requires twenty-four hours. Thus they become Bick-* 



lings, or Red-herrings ; when thefe are packed in barrels, 

 they are called Barrelled Bicklings, and are much falted ; 

 but, if laid in ftraw, they are called Straw Bicklings, and are 

 iomewhat left faked. The excellence of the Bicklings prin- 

 cipally confifts in their being large, fat, tender, frefh, pro- 

 , perly falted, pliable, foft, of the colour of gold, and not 



torn or mangled. In Holland, the beft fifli are chofen for this 

 purpofe; but in other places, the above r defcribed Slabbers 

 only are ufed, or other inferior herrings, deemed unfit for the 

 ufual mode of faffing. The beft and fatleff fmoked Dutch 

 herrings are called, in German, Speckbucklinge, or fat red- 

 herrings ; in low Saxon, Flickharinge ; and in Hamburgh, 

 I'/dkhceringe. They are cut open along the back.f 



* At Bremen, the place mod celebrated for fmoking fill), and 

 where no fecret is made, as in Holland, of the procefs, they are 

 bung in ovens of the fize of a fmall parlour, and ftricr attention is 

 paid not to ui'e fir, or any wood, in which is any the leaft turpen- 

 tine or refmous matter, which invariably gives a bad'tafteto the 

 fiili. 



f The aft of parliament regulations, and many ufeful obferva* 

 tions, may be feen in two fmall tracts, 8vo, in poffefTion of the 

 Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Com- 

 merce, the one entitled, " Observations on the Herring-Fifhery 

 vpoii the North and Eaft Coails of Scotland, &c. j with plain Rules, 

 propofed for curing, and for fnpplying the London Market with 

 White Herrings : By Lewis M'Culloch, many Years employed in 

 furnifliing the Merchants of London with Herrings for Exportation. 

 London. Richardfon, 1788." The other entitled, " The beft 

 and molt approved Method of curing White Herrings, and al J 

 Kinds of White Fifh ; containing particubr Directions how to flit, 

 gut, fait, dry, and barrel them, fit for'S;ile at home or foreign 

 Markets ; with Directions for boiling of Oil : By a Trader in Fifh, 

 London. J. Davidfon, 1750," 



Vie 



