CHAPTER II. 



THE HERRING FISHERY. 



The British hening fishery — The Scotch fishei-y and take of fish— Mode of 

 curing — Statistics of export — Definition of official brands — Statistics of 

 the Norfolk fishery — Description of drift and other nets — Kippered 

 herrings — The Dutch fishery — The French fishery — The Norway fishery — 

 The North American fishery. 



Of almost equal importance to that of the cod is the 



herring fishery, which supports and gives employment to 



many thousand of persons. Herrings {Clupea harengus), 



when in prime condition, form a cheap, delicate, and 



nutritious article of food, and when promptly and efficiently 



cured, become valuable as provision. But their value in 



this respect must necessarily depend entirely on the quality 



of the fish when caught, and on the degree of promptitude 



and care which may be exercised in curing them. 



The common herring, which is so abundant in all 



markets, is taken generally on the coast of Europe, from 



the extremity of Scandinavia as far as Normandy, and 



sometimes even lower down, but never so low as the Bay of 



Biscay. Swedes, Norwegians, Russians, Danes, Germans, 



Dutch, English, Scotch, Irish, and French, all take part in 



the herring fishery.. The number of men employed in 



Great Britain is about 100,000, and that of vessels 3000 — 

 3 " ' 



