294 Appendices to Twenty-fifth Annual Report 



erections. One of the importers has storage accommodation for 

 26,000 barrels. Fully two-thirds of the imports are sent into Russia. 

 Supplies are also sent to Galicia and Roumania. 



There are seven herring importers belonging to this place, all of 

 whom I had called upon. Besides, there are from 25 to 30 herring 

 agents — nearly all of whom are Russian Jews. These latter go under 

 the name of commissionaries, and almost every barrel passes through 

 their books to the " committer," the person in Russia who sends on the 

 orders. On every transaction there is a commission of 6d. per barrel. I 

 have met these people in groups, at the different stores, inspecting the 

 herrings. The importer grants the buyer, one month's storage 

 accommodation free, after which he charges a small fee per barrel for 

 pickling, etc., which is done every six weeks. 



The few Crown brands that had come in were from Baltasound, 

 Lerwick, Stronsay, and Lossiemouth, and, as regards quality, filling, and 

 salting, they had given satisfaction. 



Complaints of deck cargoes of herrings having been spoiled with sun- 

 heat were also made to me here. One of the importers informed me 

 that his loss in one case alone amounted to 3000 marks. 



Several of the stores were visited. One of the importers showed me 

 a sample of a parcel of early Shetland -cured herrings. The parcel was 

 consigned, and, fortunately for the curer, with the exception of a small 

 balance, was sold on arrival. The herrings were oily and peifectly rotten 

 for want of salt. A sample of another parcel was shown me, twenty barrels 

 of which were unsold. The herrings here were equally bad for want of salt. 

 The same importer informed me that, notwithstanding the above cases, he 

 did not think there would be so many spoiled herrings as last year, 

 because curers had given a little more salt. Russian buyers, he said, 

 although much opposed to seeing salt, find that without a little the 

 herrings will not keep, and in course of time they will get accustomed 

 to more being put on. In another importer's store I was shown a 

 sample of a parcel of early Shetland matties. They were all in a mess, 

 and smelling badly. The bottom ends also of these barrels were opened, 

 but, although the appearance of the herrings in them was not so bad as 

 in the case of the head ends, scarcely one passable fish was observable. 

 Parcels were shown me at other stores of early Shetland cure which had 

 deteriorated from want of salt. Another importer whom I saw was 

 filling up a large parcel of mediums, cured on the Berwick coast, 

 which he purchased on speculation. Each barrel would take from two 

 to three tiers of herrings. The herrings were not sufficiently cured. 

 They were in course of deterioration owing to an insufficiency of salt. 

 The importer estimated that he would lose 15 marks on each barrel. 

 At the same store four barrels were shown me of Dutch-cured herrings. 

 The packing and filling-up was after the Scottish method, but the 

 herrings were not so bright in colour nor so well scaled as the Scottish 

 Crown brands. The head ends of the barrels bore the imitation of a 

 crown. 



I was interested in Stornoway winter- cured herrings, these being 

 somewhat similar to Norwegian vaar herrings. One of the importers 

 showed me two barrels of a parcel which were heavily salted and had 

 to be repacked. These were found to be in good order, every herring 

 sound. Four barrels of another parcel were also shown me, 30 of 

 which had gone bad The herrings were full of milt and roe — large, 

 heavy fish. In two of the barrels there was not a particle of salt, and 

 the fish were in a state of deterioration. The herrings in the other 

 two were not so bad, but I expect that in a few more weeks putrefaction 

 would set in. 



Several parcels of trade-marked herrings came under my notice. 



