THE HERRING FISHERY. 
53 
cured during the year. This gives a grand total of 1,312,223^ 
barrels, a result so important to be worth the attention of any 
political economist, and demanding the careful consideration of 
any Government. 
It will at once be seen that to carry on so great an undertaking 
as the curing of these fish for exportation, requires both large 
capital, and extensive plant, and some arrangement to prevent 
any sudden break down, which probably would occur if the 
matter of buying the catches on boats arriving daily at their 
respective stations were not duly considered. Curers, therefore, 
arrange generally with crews to fish during the season ; and this is 
done on a price agreed upon some months before the fishing 
commences, at per cran, and not as in England at per hundred, ot 
thousand, or last. 
The cran is a standard measure of the Scotch Fishing Board, 
and contains about thirty-eight gallons. The advantage of using 
the cran is, that the fish are more quickly delivered, and the 
question of the size in no way affects the matter of the price. 
It has been the custom among curers for some years past, previous 
to the last two years, to give the fishermen a bounty of from <£1Q 
to £40, plus the price per cran, which was generally paid on 
arrival at the fishing station. The settlement of the season's 
fishing generally is left till^ the finish of the voyage, and this 
peculiarity of the engagement system has its risky element. 
It often happens that the curer comes to grief before the fishing 
is over, or even after he has exported his season's cure ; and that 
through bad markets, or from the poor quality of the herrings at 
times, he cannot realize the cost, and has to make other arrange- 
ments as best he can with the fishermen, who have to put up with 
the loss. 
Another feature in the Scotch herring-curing is the branding 
of barrels of cured fish by officers appointed by the Scotch 
Fishery Board. The full herrings are branded "Crown Fulls;" 
then come "Maties," being between a large full herring and the 
third class — " Spent " fish ; whilst again another selection is made 
as "T. B.," or "Torn Bellies." Hence there are four distinct 
brands. This gives some guarantee for careful selection and 
packing, but is only used in connection with the export trade. 
In preparing the herrings for the Baltic ports (Eussia and 
Prussia) every fish is gutted by cutting the throat and taking 
