xlviii 



T went 11 -ninth Annual Report 



constructed being 224, valued at £288,962, as compared with 213, 

 valued at £217,764, in the previous year. To appreciate the advance 

 made, however, it should be noted that the net increase of 11 in 

 number is made up by additions of 19 steam drifters or steam liners, 

 1 first-class sailing boat (over 45 feet keel), 3 second-class sailing 

 boats, and 5 trawlers, less 2 fewer first-class sailing boats (30 to 45 

 feet keel), and 15 fewer third-class sailing boats ; and it is remarkable 

 that even in the classes which show a decline in number the value of 

 the output is slightly greater. 



The forecast made in last year's Report that the successful herring 

 fishing season of 1909 would enable some more of the fishermen to 

 invest in the latest type of boat has thus been justified. That steam- 

 driven vessels will in the long run completely supersede sailing boats 

 for herring-fishing purposes is indicated by the fact that only two of 

 the larger class of the latter type were ordered, as against 48 of the 

 former. As a matter of fact, one of these first-class sailing boats was 

 built to the order of the Congested Districts Board for Ireland, and 

 was intended for the reception of a motor. The average value of the 

 steam drifters or liners purchased in 1910 was, however, only about 

 £2700, as compared with an average of over £2900 for those turned 

 out in 1909. As is so often the case in this matter, the districts on 

 the south shore of the Moray Firth- take the leading position, 31 

 steam fishing boats, out of the total of 48, being built in Banff, 

 Buckie, and Findhorn districts, and 28 of these 31 being for local use. 



Of the 25 trawlers launched (20 at Aberdeen and 5 at Greenock), 

 5 were for places in England and 7 for abroad. The average value 

 per vessel in this case also was less than in 1909, being £6028, as com- 

 pared with £6233 in the previous year. 



BARREL-MAKING. 



In connection with herring curing and exporting, in the year under 

 review 1,700,045 barrels and 637,614 half-barrels were made in 

 Scotland. Compared with the figures for 1909, this means a decrease 

 of 147,792 whole barrels and an increase of 45,233 half-barrels, or a 

 net decrease of about 8 per cent on the whole, notwithstanding 

 the fact that during 1910 more barrels were required for the reception 

 of cured herrings. It must be kept in mind, however, that a large 

 number of English herring-curers, especiall}^ in Shetland for example, 

 take part in the Scottish fishing, and these naturally bring with them 

 from England most of the barrels they expect to require. On the 

 other hand, Scottish curers take a large number of Scottish-made 

 barrels to the English fishing at Yarmouth and Lowestoft. 



It will be noted that barrel-making is confined chiefly to the East 

 Coast, although Stornoway has a not insignificant output. By far the 

 largest suppHes, however, come from the Aberdeenshire districts, in 

 each of which there are several barrel factories. Indeed, without the 

 enormous number of barrels now made with the aid of machinery, the 

 demand under the conditions existing; during recent seasons could not 

 have been met. The earlier commencement of the herring fishing 

 now necessitates large numbers of coopers leaving the workshops 

 about the beginning of May, whereas formerly these men might have 

 been employed until the beginning of July. The change has con- 



