of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



297 



Stornoway winter-cured herrings are, I learn, preferable to vaar 

 herrings, and, provided they could be delivered at about 22s. per barrel, 

 there would be a good demand for them. 



During my visit to Libau I noticed a dozen boats of about 15-feet 

 keel land catches of from two to six crans of " stromliug " (small 

 herring). In size they vary from four to seven inches in length — the 

 bulk of which were fully developed with milt and roe. Large quantities 

 of these are caught off Revel and Riga, and are smoked and also 

 preserved. Good catches of "dorsch" (codling) were also brought in 

 by these boats. 



I regret to mention that two nights previous to my arrival two 

 large importers of Scottish herrings, partners of the firm of 

 Pinch assowutz & Goldstuck, were shot dead in their office ; a brother of 

 the latter was also wounded. The town and country were in a very 

 unsettled state. 



General Observations. 



In attending the sales, I found that there was no fixed rule as to the 

 number of barrels examined. In a parcel of 60 there might be half-a- 

 dozen barrels opened, while the same number might suffice 

 for a lot of 300. When the article appeared good the inspection 

 to a great extent was superficial, the great test being by taste. In all 

 cases it is essential to have a well-filled barrel. Filling up the barrels 

 with herrings which originally lost the pickle, and with torn or inferior 

 fish, detracts considerably from their appearance. Two or three barrels, 

 badly made up in the head ends, are sufficient to damage a parcel. 

 Besides, one or two bad parcels in a cargo shakes the confidence of the 

 buyers. Too much care cannot be bestowed by curers on the cloing-up 

 of their herrings, the ultimate result of which will be to their benefit. 



With regard to the stencilling and marking of barrels of unbranded 

 herrings, importers invariably feel annoyed when on examination they 

 find the herrings are inferior to the description given. Buyers of 

 unbranded herrings, when they look for fulls expect to get these. On 

 the ends of the barrels in a parcel of herrings I saw the word " Full " 

 impressed, but on inspection the fish turned out to be indifferent matties. 

 In many instances the selections were not according to what was repre- 

 sented on the ends of the barrels ; consequently there was a growing 

 tendency to buy Dutch and German selected herrings instead of unbranded 

 herrings. There is a class of buyer from the interior who cannot see 

 he is getting an inferior bargain by buying a barrel of German-cured 

 herrings — the cask containing which is much smaller than a Scottish - 

 made barrel. The reduction of two marks in the price of the empty 

 cask is to him a great inducement to purchase. 



The complaints this season by importers and merchants in the interior 

 w T ere made on the following grounds, viz. : — (1) herrings torn ; (2) 

 insufficient cure, the fish, in many cases, throwing off an offensive 

 smell ; (3) defective selection, matties being largely mixed with spents, 

 and (4) sunburnt herrings. With regard to the first of these complaints, 

 the early Shetland and East Coast herrings were particularly tender, and, 

 although this was not so much noticed before shipment, the bellies of the 

 herrings, after the fish had lain some little time in store, were practi- 

 cally eaten away. The unkeepable nature of the herrings had undoubtedly 

 to do with this. I do not think any trade markers would stencil barrels 

 containing such herrings with ''Splendid Selection," "Large Selected 

 Fulls," or "Fine Selected,"if they saw them in the same condition as I did, 

 practically all torn. As to the second complaint, many of the fishcurers, 

 in their endeavour to strike a fine cure, had undersalted their herrings, 



