A cran of herrings (about 1,000 fish, weighing approximately 3 cwts.) uses up 1 cwt. of salt and, when completely salted, just fills a barrel. The curer estimates that 5 to 6 tons of salt will be sufficient for 100 crans of herrings. Herrings salted in this proportion should be exported and consumed before the warm weather comes, as they are liable to decay if the temperature rises above 70° F. The herrings that were packed for the British Government (1920-1921) were salted more heavily than usual (7 to 8 tons of salt per 100 crans), as, owing to the uncertain condition of the Russian and German markets, it was necessary to keep some of the fish in stock for a considerable time. Such a heavily-salted fish would be unpalatable to the home consumer. In Yarmouth and Lowestoft, and also in Scotland, 100 crans of herrings should fill, when cured, from 125 to 130 barrels. Herrings are sometimes salted at sea, 1 ton of salt being used to each last (10 crans) of herrings. Such herrings are mostly used to make “red herrings.” =Red Herrings.= A considerable trade in red herrings is done with the Mediterranean and the Levant. For this trade, the fish must be thoroughly smoke-cured, otherwise they will not keep in the comparatively warm climate. The fish are first of all dry-salted in concrete tanks about 10 ft. square and 6 ft. deep, arranged under the floor of the curing house. Fresh fish and salt are simply thrown in and mixed up, and left to develop their own pickle. Generally speaking, 1 ton of salt is used to 10 crans of herrings, and each tank will hold from 20 to 30 crans of the fish. The fish should be left in these salting tanks for five days at least; sometimes, of course, they are left for months, according to the trade, in which case the tanks practically serve as storage tanks for the salted fish. The fish are removed from the tank as required, washed, and put on “speets” and smoked. A “speet” is a wooden rod about 3 ft. 6 ins. long and pointed at one end. The fish are threaded on the speet through the gill openings and mouth, each speet holding from 20 to 30 fish. The speets are then stacked horizontally on racks in the smoke house “loves” (lofts), about 6 ins. apart and about 12 ins. above each other, until the smoke house is filled from the roof to within a few feet of the floor. When the smoke-house is filled, fires are lighted on the floor. Generally, the fuel used is oak turnings, shavings, and sawdust. This material burns quickly, and gives a very resinous smoke which not only dries the fish, but also permeates it thoroughly. The rate of curing and the character of the finished product depend upon the temperature of the smoke, and the proportion of antiseptic resinous materials in it. When the oak or other suitable hard wood fuel is in the form of turnings or dust it burns quickly, and thus produces a fairly hot smoke, containing antiseptic substances—for example, guaiacol and creosol. Such a smoke will cure the fish quickly.