HERRING FISHERIES OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND HOLL AND. 
15 
The buyer almost always repacks the fish in order to sort them by size and 
grades of quality, no sorting being attempted on the vessels. Sometimes purchasers 
or agents prefer the sea-packed, unsorted fish, but as a rule the dealers or jobbers 
wish to know how many fish are in a barrel and what their quality is. Some 
shrinkage ensues; this is usually made up with fish of the same lot before the sale, 
the refilling being done either on shore or on the vessel. 
After coming into the hands of the packer the herring are emptied into large vats 
or tanks, from which they are repacked according to the prevailing practice. The 
original brine (called “blood brine” or “blood pickle”) is considered much better 
than any newly-made brine, and is always saved and poured back on the fish after 
repacking. The fish are placed in the barrels in the same manner as at sea, and 
fresh salt is added in the proportion of 1 barrel to 8 barrels of fish. The shrinkage 
in repacking is about 8 per cent — that is, 100 barrels of sea-packed herring will 
make about 92 barrels of fish ready for market. 
The Dutch herring barrels contain about 125 kilograms of fish, and most of the 
catch is marketed in such barrels. Smaller receptacles — i, i, jr, and barrels — 
are also used, but are not nearly so much in demand as they were a few years 
ago. The barrel staves are oak and are imported from New York, Baltimore, and 
Newport News in the form of rough pieces, which are cut into proper shape at 
Ylaardingen, where several thousand coopers are regularly employed. The hoops 
are made from willow trees grown on the dykes. White, clean barrels are required 
for the American trade; dark, dirty barrels are accepted by the continental countries. 
The Scotch herring barrel is regarded as a very good, strong barrel, and is imported 
by the Dutch packers. The preferred arrangement of the hoops is to have four 
between the bung and each end as well as four at each end, so that when the barrel 
is rolled its weight rests on the hoops. Idle bung is large and central. Some barrels 
have a single iron hoop at the top. 
In Holland there is no official regulation of packing or branding, but the packers 
have a standard which is generally observed, as it is to their interest to have the 
fish properly packed and labeled. The different grades of herring recognized are 
similar to the Scotch, and are based on the spawning condition of the fish. The ripe 
or full fish are branded “ vol” ( = full); the matties (maatjis) are branded “m”; the 
spent herring (ijlen) are branded “u”or “ijle.” Of each of these there are several 
qualities designated No. 1, No. 2, etc., and there are several other grades. The 
barrels are usually marked with a stencil. 
The Dutch herring trade is not restricted to the fish caught and packed by the 
Dutch fishermen. Considerable quantities of salt Scotch herring are received at 
Vlaardingen, which, after repacking, are sold as Dutch herring. Furthermore, the 
Dutch sell some of their own herrings in Scotch barrels in the continental countries, 
where the Scotch pack is well known. 
