22 

 2.— NORTHUMBERLAND, 1892-1920. 



We have now to compare the results obtained in 1920 with 

 the results of the pre-war experiments. The experiments were 

 commenced by the late Aid. John Dent in 1892 with a view to 

 demonstrating the effect of the by-law prohibiting trawling in 

 the territorial waters of the Northumberland district. The pro- 

 cedure to begin with was to visit a given bay or station, and to 

 trawl for a fairly constant number of hours. The trawl was hauled 

 in at each end of the bay as a rule, the small fish were returned 

 to the sea, and the larger or marketable fish were counted and 

 tabulated at the end of the experiment. When the experiments 

 came under my charge in 1896 I deemed it advisable to allow 

 them to be carried on as before, so that the previous results would 

 not be lost sight of. They had a value of their own, for the long 

 period of the experiment neutralised to a large extent the varia- 

 tions produced by tide and other influences. In 1899 I began 

 to measure the first haul in detail, and subsequently this more 

 accurate method was adopted at first in association with the 

 earlier usage, and finalty all the fish captured were recorded in this 

 maimer. 



The trawl net used during the whole period was a beam trawl, 

 measuring 22 feet. The earlier experiments were conducted 

 with tug steamers belonging to the late Aid. Dent, and usually 

 by tug steamers hired for the purpose after the late Chairman's 

 death in 1907. In 1910 our motor boat was employed for the 

 work, and satisfactorily. 



In the earlier reports, when the measuring was introduced, 

 the two classes of records were distinguished as " complete experi- 

 ment " and " first haul," for, as has been said, only the first haul 

 to begin with was measured. The " complete experiments " 

 were carried on with almost uninterrupted regularity from 1892 

 to 1906. The measured hauls have been recorded since 1899, 

 and provide a series from 1899 to 1910, and were repeated in 

 1913 and in 1920. 



Marketable Fish. 



The earlier experiments refer only to the larger fish, and our 

 records with regard to them may bo first presented. To render 



