The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-09-30

but trlt1e to try it, and the result
has been worth millions to many
suffering women.
in the world would be crowded out of ex.
istance.
The extraordinary value attaine' by
the sea herring as fishery product has
depended in no small degree on the man.
fold uses to which it may be put and the
numerous ways in which it is susceptible
of preservation. AS fish for consump-
ton in fresh condition, the sea herring
does not rank high by comparison with
various other marine food fishes inhabit-
ing the same waters; nevertheless, a
perfectly fresh herring, when broiled,
fried or baked, is excellent
An important use for fresh herring is
as bait in the line fisheries for bottom
species like halibut, cod and haddock.
Immense quantities are thus consumed,
particularly in New England and the
British provinces. The herring for this
purpose are taken mostly in winter and
are frozen in bulk for preservation.
The simplest method of preservation is
that of drying without salt. This is a
favorite method for small herring in
Japan, and such fish, strung on straws
or sticks, are seen exposed for sale in all
parts of that country and are extensive
ly eaten.
A favorite and simple way of prepar-
Europe is by smoking, which is usually
Smoked fish. however, will not keep in
definitely, and the herring that enter
most largely into the commerce of the
world are preserved by various degrees
of sailing. On the coast of Maine small
herrings in bulk, preserved in pickle and
/ seasoned with spices, are known as Rus
sian sardines
One OF the principal uses made of the
sea herring in New England is for cam
ming as ''sardines." In the same region
the fish are also canned under the name
of herring, and before the enactment of
the present benefcent pure-food law
were sometimes sold to the unsuspecting
consumer as ''brook trout" and "mack-
erel.' In Great Britain favorite can
ned preparation is kippered herring.
The waste parts of herring at the sar-
dine and sailing establishments are con-
vertible into a excellent fertilizer, called
'pomace" in Maine, and in Japan, owing
to lack of markets for the fish, i'm
mense numbers are caught for the spe-
cial purpose of being converted into
guano. Another product, usually made
in connection with fertilizer, is oil, which
has wide use in the trades.
HERRING IN THE UNITED STATES.
The herring fishery of the United
States has always held subordinate rank.
Although prosecuted from Puritan times
and attaining great value, it has always
been exceeded in Importance by other
fisheries in the States where the herring
abounds. Owing to the distribution of
the fish, Maine and Massachusetts have
the most extensive fisheries, and the
quantity OF herring taken in the other
New England States and in New York
and New Jersey is very small. At no
point south of Block Island does the fish
occur in sufficient numbers with suffi-
Gent regularity to support an establish
ed industry
Owing to the great abundance of her
ring in the shore waters of Maine and
Massachusetts, and of the British prov
inces, there has been no occasion as vet
to seek the herring offshore, and hence
the American fishery differs markedly in
methods from the European. The Oldest
and for long time the most common,
manner of fishing for herring is tcrching
"a method learned from the aborigines.
Up to about 1920 herring were caught in
no other way on the eastern Maine coast.
Torching depends on the we'll known
instinct of herring and other fishes to
seek and follow light, and is carried on
with very simple apparatus. Projecting
over the bow of boat propelled by oars
is small iron basket, in which fire of
birch bark or other highly combustible
material is kept burning while the fish
ing is going on. As soon as darkness
comes on the boat is rowed to the fishing
grounds, one man steering, one man
standing in the bow with large dip net.
AS the herring gather in little punches
in front of the light they are readily
caught with the dip net, and sometimes
fifteen to twenty barrels may thus be
taken in few hours. This method is
followed chiefly in Passamaquoddy and
Ipswich bays.
Gill nets, haul seines and purse seines
are more or less extensively employed
for herring on various parts of our coast,
but the characteristic apparatus in the
region of most important fishing is the
brush weir, which came into use about
1920, and for many years has been the
principal means of taking herring in
Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia,
being particularly important in Passama-
quoddy bay and its tributaries. The
brush weir is an aboriginal fishing device
in all parts of the world, and variations
in structure are numerous; but it's essen
tial feature is an Enclosure made of
brush located on the shore on a bar,
between the mainland and an island OF
between two islands, into which the
fish wander, and from which they are
prevented from escaping by their in.
ability to find the exit, by the fall OF
tide, by the closing of the entrance,
or by peculiarities of construction.