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Appendices to Twenty-fifth Annual Report 



Fulls cared at Lerwick, which, he said, the buyer had rejected because 

 they were roused herrings. On inspection I found that, although the 

 fish, when the end was removed, looked a little dim in colour, possibly 

 owing to the heat, they were sound, well scaled, but somewhat hard 

 cured. The bottom ends looked bright, and the fish were nicely salted. 

 The fact is, that the buyer found they were hard cured and did not 

 suit his market ; otherwise, they were in good order. Another importer 

 desired that I should inspect a parcel of Crown Fulls cured on the west 

 side of Shetland, which, he said, the buyer had rejected because of 

 heavy salting. Out of 10 barrels opened not one was heavily salted. 

 The importer's manager admitted after the inspection that they were 

 an excellent lot and that he was quite satisfied with the parcel. 



Several parcels of German-cured herrings (matjes) caught and cured 

 on the Shetland Coast came under my notice. I was somewhat dis- 

 appointed with the cure and packing, as the first lots I saw were well 

 done up. In the bottom ends they were heavily salted and the filling 

 was slack. 



With regard to the stencilling of a crown on barrels containing 

 herrings, copies of which have been submitted to you, and which has 

 already formed the subject of correspondence, there was no port on the 

 coast of Germany where I noticed imitations of the crown brand so 

 much used as here. To the buyers or consumers in Roumania and 

 Austria-Hungary the crown on the end of a barrel appears to carry with 

 it a guarantee. Almost every importer and dealer in Norwegian vaar 

 herrings stencils these with a crown of one description or another, and 

 I was told that occasionally unbranded Scottish herrings are marked with 

 a crown and the description of the herrings lettered in English. One 

 of the importers mentioned to me that when an order is received, or 

 when a buyer comes forward from the afore-mentioned countries to pur- 

 chase vaar herrings, he stipulates that he must have a crown as a trade 

 mark on the ends of the barrels. The question was asked, whether it 

 was not to mislead the consumer, but the difference in price, he said, 

 was so great that this can hardly be the case. But, doubtless, before 

 they reach the purchaser in a small way they would be retailed at the 

 same rates as the Scottish herrings purchased at double the money. 



During the last days of my visit the first cargo, for the season, of 

 Yarmouth herrings arrived. Much interest was evinced in the inspection 

 of this cargo, but the prices being limited, and reports of a good fishing 

 being landed, no sales were effected. The quality, however, was 

 excellent, and the packing and filling up all that could be desired. The 

 herrings were chiefly mat-fulls and matties. 



Before leaving Stettin I had an opportunity of visiting the Oderwerke 

 Shipbuilding Yard, where two trawlers, one 125 and the other 120 

 feet long between perpendiculars, had recently been launched. Both 

 vessels were supplied with steel boilers and fitted with triple-expansion 

 engines of 400 horse power ; speed 1 1 knots ; electric light — the 

 larger with winch, 2 drums, to accommodate 1000 fathoms each, of wire 

 rope ; the smaller with winch, 2 drums, to accommodate 750 fathoms 

 rope. The vessels were of steel, classed German Lloyd, A/4 K (B). The 

 cost of the larger was <£7500. This vessel appeared a most formidable 

 fishing craft. The accommodation, fitting, and workmanship were 

 excellent. They were the first trawlers ever built at Stettin, and were 

 for Altona and Hamburg owners. 



Danzig. 



I arrived here on the 20th August. The importation of Scottish-cured 

 herrings was 12,000 barrels ahead of the corresponding period of 1905. 

 Only a few hundred barrels of West Coast matjes are consigned to this 



