ATKINS THE SALMON AND ITS ARTIFICIAL CULTURE. 295 



ting. The pounds are near low- water mark, and at bigii water of ordi- 

 nary tides the floor of the little pound is sixteen feet under the surface. 

 The distinguishing feature of this weir, when compared with those built 

 on the Penobscot, is the position of the second pound, which is on the 

 lower or down-river side of the first pound ; on the Penobscot it is 

 always on the upper side. 



Mr. Wilson has furnished a statement of the catch of salmon in his 

 weir for tlie last ten years, together with some explanatory remarks 

 which are herewith submitted : 



"With regard to the number of salmon caught here last summer and 

 how it compares with other years, owing to the operation of the fish- 

 law, there seems to be no basis for an intelligent estimate. The prohib- 

 ition covers nearly all the fishing-ground at the head of the tide where 

 most of the salmon used to be caught, and but comparatively few are 

 caught there now unless by stealth. I can inform you how our number 

 compares with other years, but how much, if any, this number is in- 

 creased by salmon falling back, that would have been caught at the head 

 of the tide were there no restriction more than heretofore, I have no 

 grounds for even a guess. That some drop down is quite certain, for 

 Ave have caught several showing unmistakable marks about the gills 

 of having been meshed, when nets were used only at or near the head 

 of the tide. 



" During the last ten j'ears our 'catches' have been as follows, the 

 place and plan of the weir the same ever^^ year : 



Year. No. of salmou. Year. No. of salmon, 



18G4 30 1869 22 



18G5 27 1870 35 



1866 109 1871 117 



1867 101 1872 55 



1868 93 1873 81 



" In 1871 and 1872 we observed the two weekly close-days to July 15. 

 The other two weirs, one on each sid3 of the river, two to three miles 

 below ours, have caught each, I estimate, nearly as many as we have. 

 The several half tide weirs may have caught not to exceed a half dozen. 

 I can make no estimate of the number caught at Union Mills, the 

 head of the tide. If I could it would be no test, as there would be no 

 clew to the number diminished by the protective law. 



"The average weight of the salmon we caught in 1870 and 1871 

 would not exceed 10 pounds each, about OJ pounds according to our 

 accounts; in 1872 and 1873 about 12.;V pounds." 



4. — DENNY'S RIVER. 



Salmon abounded in this river in its primitive state. The Cathance, 

 the principal tributary, was more frequented by them than was the 

 main river above the mouth of the former. But the Cathance has 

 been utterly closed up by dams, and for some years subsequent to 



