The morning call., 1890-12-07

about the LIST of July and continues until the
10Th OF September. Here in Shetland the
season opens month earlier. Fishermen,
iaporers. curers' crews and what not come
10 an the east coast ports and to Shetland
ana IRON every portion of the north and
west OF Scotland including the outer
Hebrides. They are simply the crofters
L have spoken of in previous articles
who take this method of securing
money with which to pay the rent of their
erGits, and without which they could not
exist throughout the year. At Wick fifteen
years ago the fishermen helpers received
each wage of from &c 10 IS for season
OIL about six months, with board and lodg-
ing. A few years since 1t was SO to 9S,
with one shilling for each Gran OF herring
landed, which, with other perquistes, ill.,
creased their earnings to 9i5 or go. AT
present in Shetland, the principal seat of
the herring industry, the system generally
prevailing is TO allow one-half of the
proceeds Of the fishing to the owner or own
ers of the boat, who provides all material,
the other half being equally divided between
members Of the crew, The owner receiving
a share as such if he be one of the crew.
On the east coast it is also becoming general
to give hired fishers one shilling on each
pound sterling value CT herring landed. At
some ports men receive certain proportion
OF the boats earnings, providing their own
subsistence on shore, but getting their "oil-
sklns 1or sea use as perquisite.
The preparations of the fish-curer are of
interest and importance. All winter long
coopers have been employed in making the
necessary supply OF barrels. They receive
from 10 pence to shilling for each barrel
made, and during the herring season are
paid regular wages. ranging from % to 80
shlllings per week.
THE HERRING BARREL
Must hold 263s imperial gallons; the half
barrel, LB but no official cognizance is
taken of quarters or less. Having secured
sufficient ground for curing purposes, which
is called curing yard Or station" we will
suppose he intends using the fish
landed by ten boats. He provides a
feet high, into which the herrings
are emptied from the fisherman
baskets, or from his own carts and around
ich the crews" of ''curers" work. For
merly the ''creel. or square wicker basket,
was used in the delivery of fish. This has
been superseded by tile circular quarter
Gran >, basket, four of which make the
Gran" of 3T19 imperial gallons, the standard
measure upon which all estimates on Scot
fish herring anu expense IN securing the
same are based. For handling the fish of
ten boats the cnrer will employ three coop
ers and one crew of CUTTERS" Or thirty
cutters" in all. The latter are invariably
women-crofters' wives, daughters, sisters.
Five tons or 200 bushels Of salt to the 100
Grams VIII be needed; and he provides bar
X
years fishing giving him from 1900 to 1000
Grams OF 6sh from the ten boats.
On the arrival of the fleet" the fish are
sold by auction, plan very recently intro
duced, and identical with that of our own
herring fishers at EaStport Maine. Samples
OF herring are retained by the auctoneer in
case Of disputes. The statesmen charges the
fishermen small percentage as at New
Haven on the Firth of Forth; he becomes
responsible to this fishermen for the money !;
70 On ~ -
agreed At an ordinary east-coast herring fish
ing port, fully 1000 cutters" anu packers
will be at work. Perhaps 600 of these are
women. AS stated, three form a 'crew."
Two use the knife and one packs" They
work with marvellous rapidiiy The herring
IN the throat of the fish, sidewiSe, with the
right band, with one swift movement in "a
pull-like cut as one of the women described
1t to me,
THE HERRING Is OPENED AND CLEANED,
And whisked into basket. IL is so quickly
done that the eye cannot follow the pro-
cess. The behring's are next sorted, shifted
to receiving boxes, and then emptied
into rousiHg boxes where they are
thoroughly "roused" or mixed with salt
In packing. which Immediately follows, the
tiers are formed. between layers of salt, by
placing the behring's backs downward. One
herring is laid in the center of a forming tier,
and then line OF the fish is run in either
direction to the barre-sidas, the spaces left
on each side of this line being laid with fi1h,
heads outward. Every alternate tier is laid
transyersely. The barrels are heaped two
tiers above their level, and are then known
as "upsets." In two days time the salt is
partly melted, and portion of the pickle"
is poured OFF. The herring have also
pinned" that is, shrunk. FILLING up"
follows. The barrels are then lighted ="
by the coopers, when they are CONNER
cially known as "sea-sticks." After ten
days they are opened. the pickle" again
poured off, more herrings are crowded into
them, they are again lighted, " s0lidly
filled with pickle through tie bungs laid in
double rows; aud are now ready for official
inspection.
The women forming these curers' crews,
who are largely from the ives: coast and the
HeDrides, receive 81 of bounty, called ear
nest money" which is known as ''arles" on
the Aberdeenshlre coast. about eightpence
per barrel for cleaning and packing. and
threepence per hour when at the final fill
ingS. They are usually found rude lodg-
ings in addition, where, in 'mesSes," they
live with the utmost economy, for they are
working here to keep the croftthatch above
their heads at home. They very often Ia
Dor sixteen and eighteen hours per day.
They are of all ages, from ff-
teen to fifty years. Working upon perish
able food, depending upon uncertain deliv-
cry from the fishermen, they do not come
within The restricting provisions as to hours
of labor of the British factory acts. Brand
ing and inspection are simple processes.
Each curer must brand his name and
place OF port of cure on tue side of each
barrel. as also "screve" on the barrel
the date of "catch," day of "cure and
grade of fish. Government inspection
consists Of assuring barrels of legal
size, proper hopping, the curer's brands
and marks and proper classification under
Large Fulls," 11h inches and upward !;
''Fulls," 1oA inches, and ''Mattie Fulls,"
81 inches, all full of milt or roe. Seven per
cent of all lots are actually examined hit
or miss" In 1909 but 81, 701 barrels were
branded. The highest number known in a
single year to the Scottish herring fisheries
was esq, 1925 barrels. These were branded
in 1885. EDGAR L. wAKEMAN.
*Copy1fohk