92 



the simple funeral pyre, and in these days of Sanitary Reform let cremation and 

 purification be substituted for corruption and putrefaction. None of you may 

 prevent the appearance of the Saprolegnia ferax, but you may all aid each other 

 in lessening its ravages. When the meteorological causes which produce the 

 fungus are prevalent you may do much to improve your rivers and .save your 

 almon. 



The gradual increase in the supply of salmon to the public markets — not- 

 withstanding the prevalence of the disease in many of the best salmon rivers 

 during the last five years, is very remarkable. The supply from our own river, 

 the Wye, in which the disease this year destroyed so many fish, has never been 

 exceeded in any previous year, and as Mr. Stephens, the lessee of the fishery, 

 says, "Never in all my experience have I seen so many fishes with their heads 

 up stream determined to pass all obstacles." 



This, however, is not a mere matter of opinion, it is a commercial fact, as 

 may be seen from the published account of the supply of salmon to Billingsgate 

 Market. Mr. Henry Ffennell, in The Times of August 15th, 1883, says,— ''I have 

 before me figures giving the numbers of boxes of salmon received at Billingsgate 

 for the last ten weeks ending on Friday last, and also figures showing the amount 

 received for a corresponding period of last year. From this it will be seen that 

 Londoners at least have had the opportunity of enjoying the benefit of a largely 

 increased supply of salmon. The numbers of boxes of salmon received at Billings- 

 gate respectively from Scotch, Irish, and English waters for the ten weeks of 1883 

 ending Friday last and the ten corresponding weeks of 1882, were as follows : — 



Scotland 



Ireland 



England 



29,482 ... 16,870 

 From this it will be seen that there has been an increase of 12,612 boxes over the 

 number received during the ten weeks of 1882, and as each box is calculated to 

 hold 1501b. weight of fish, the figures I give represent, I think, a substantial aug- 

 mentation to the fish supply of London." 



Or again, the arrival of salmon in London during the month of June for the 

 last five years, as given in Professor Huxley's address at the Fisheries Exhibition 

 (July 3rd, 1883,) shows this increase equally clearly : — 



1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 



English ... ... 409 ... 756 ... 524 ... 848 ... 760 



Berwick... ... 132 ... 182 ... 197 ... 198 



Irish ... ... 1,553 ... 1,864 ... 1,995 ... 1,243 



Scotch ... ... 1,541 ... 1,847 ... 2,544 ... 3,605 



245 

 3,073 

 6,643 



10,721 



3,635 ... 4,649 ... 5,260 ... 5,894 

 Thus we may take courage, and still grow cucumbers, with good faith that we 

 may enjoy salmon in its season for many a year to come. 



