PRESERVATION OF FISHERY PRODUCTS FOR FOOD. 
429 
persons unlawfully to use his brands, or willfully and fraudulently uses the same himself after the 
expiration of his commission, he shall forfeit $20 for each cask or box so dealt with. 
If any person lades or receives on board any vessel or other carriage, for any transportation from 
this State, any pickled fish, or cured or salted whole fish, packed or not packed, not inspected and 
branded as aforesaid, except such as is described in the exception of section 13, he shall forfeit at the 
rate of not less than $5 nor more than $10 for every 100 pounds thereof; aud any justice of the peace 
may issue his warrant to the proper officer, directing him to seize and secure any such prohibited fish 
and convey it to any inspector within a convenient distance for inspection; and every person refusing 
to give necessary aid in the service of such warrant, when required by the officer, shall forfeit $5 to the 
person suing therefor in an action of debt; and such inspector shall open, inspect, pack, aud brand such 
fish according to law aud detain the same till all lawful charges of seizure and inspection are paid. 
The fish inspection laws of lllew Hampshire follow very closely those of Maine. 
The inspection laws of Massachusetts date from 1651, but have been modified from 
time to time. The following are among the principal provisions at present: 
Under the supervision of the inspector-general aud his deputies, respectively, all kinds of split 
pickled fish and fish for barreling except herrings, and all codfish tongues and sounds, halibut fins 
aud napes, and swordfish, whenever said articles are intended for exportation, shall be struck with 
salt or pickle in the first instance, aud preserved sweet and free from rust, taint, or damage; and 
when the same are found in good order and of good quality thej' shall bo packed either in tierces con- 
taining each 300 pounds, in barrels containing each 200 pounds, in half-barrels containing each 100 
pounds, or in packages containing each less than 100 pounds, on which the number of pounds therein 
shall be plainly and legibly branded. Every cask, kit, or package shall be packed with good, clean 
salt suitable for the purpose, and, after packing with sufficient salt to preserve its contents, shall be 
headed or well secured, aud tilled up with a clean, strong pickle. 
Casks used for ]>acking or repacking pickled fish intended for exportation, except casks contain- 
ing less than 25 pounds weight, shall be made of sound, well-seasoned wdiite oak, ash, red oak, spruce, 
pine, or chestnut staves of rift timber, sound and well seasoned, with heading of either of said kinds 
of wood, and when of pine such heading shall be free from sap and knots and be planed. The barrels, 
half-barrels, and tierces shall be well hooped with at least three good hoops of sufficient substance 
on each bilge and three hoops of the like quality on each chime. The barrel staves shall be 28 inches 
ill length aud the heads shall be 17 inches between the chimes. The barrels shall contain not less than 
28 nor more than 29 gallons each; the half-barrels not less than 15 gallons oacli ; and the tierces not 
less than 45 nor more than 46 gallons each. Each cask shall be made in a workmanlike manner, and 
branded on its side, near the bung, with the name of the maker. 
There shall be five qualities of mackerel, three of salmon and shad, and two of other kinds of 
pickled fish. Mackerel of the best tjuality, not mutilated, measuring not less than 13 inches from the 
extremity of the head to the crotch or fork of the tail, free from rust, taint, or damage, shall he 
branded “number cue.” The next best quality, being not less than 11 inches, measuringas aforesaid, 
free from rust, taint, or damage, shall be branded “number two.” Those that remain after the above 
selections, if free from taint or damage, aud not less than 13 inches, measuring as aforesaid, shall be 
branded “number three, large.” Those of the next inferior quality, free from taint or damage, not 
less than 10 inches in length as aforesaid, shall be branded “number three.” All other mackerel free 
from taint or damage shall be branded “ number four.” Those salmon aud shad which are of the best 
quality for family use, free from rust or damage, shall be selected for “number one” and “number 
two,” the best of them selected aud branded “number one,” the residue “number two”; all that 
remain I'ree from taint, aud sound, shall be branded “number three.” Of all other pickled fish the 
best, which are free from taint and damage, shall be branded “number one”; those that remain, free 
from taint and sound, “number two.” 
Each cask, kit, or package shall be filled with fish of the same kind or parts of the same kind 
of fish, and whoever intermixes, takes out, or shifts any inspected fish which are packed or branded 
as aforesaid, or puts in other fish for sale or exportation, shall forfeit $15 for each package so altered. 
If any casualty renders it necessary to repack a cask of inspected fish it shall in all cases be done by 
an inspector of such fish. 
The inspector shall brand, in plain, legible letters, on the head of each cask of fish inspected by 
him, the denomination of the fish packed or repacked therein, the initials of his Christian name, and 
the whole of his surname ; and, if a deputy, the name of the place for which he is appointed, the letters 
