THE SALT-WATER FISHERIES OF BOHUSLAN. 145 



material advantage should result from such investigations in the imme- 

 diate future. The history of natural sciences and trades furnishes nu- 

 merous examples how a science may be studied and worked up for many 

 years, in some cases even for a century, without yielding any practical 

 result, until all of a sudden some grand invention surprised the public. 

 How long, for instance, was electricity considered by the great mass of the 

 people as a useless matter, good enough perhaps for tlie learned to know 

 something about, but of no practical value, until its practical application 

 produced a sudden and radical change in public opinion. Science ought 

 to be cultivated conscientiously and perseveringly for its own sake, and 

 sooner or later its results will prove useful in practical life. 



§ 6. As the scientific and practical investigations which come into 

 question here are to give us that knowledge which is indispensable for 

 obtaining the necessary basis for carrying on and administering the fish- 

 eries in the best possible manner, as well as for useful legislation on the 

 subject, in fact for a final solution of the whole fishery-question, it will 

 be evident that these investigations must extend to everything concern- 

 ing the fisheries. These investigations must, therefore, not be confined 

 to technical, law, and administrative questions, but must ext-end to ques- 

 tions of economy and natural science. All the different points from 

 which the fisheries may be viewed must be considered if any good result 

 is to be obtained. For the omission of one of these may essentially 

 change the results. A most thorough and complete treatment of the 

 whole subject is absolutely necessary. 



§ 7. It is well known that the so-called inductive method is the only 

 one both in natural history and in a trade which will lead to a reliable 

 general knowledge. From many agreeing facts a deduction is made 

 regarding a general law, which will gain in probability in proportion as 

 the induction is complete In all its parts. This shows the necessity of 

 making as many observations as possible at different times and places, 

 and of comparing these with older observations handed down to us by 

 reliable writers. The necessity of making numerous observations during 

 a long period of time increases, as there are very frequent exceptions 

 from general rules which cannot always be considered as abnormal, and 

 as a lack of agreeing facts with regard to even one or two ijoints may 

 make it very difficult to reach any certain conclusion. It is, of course, 

 not possible to obtain in this way that degree of completeness which 

 would lead to absolute certainty. 



"With regard to our present subject — the fisheries — one must be careful 

 to avoid the very common mistake of making hasty observations or facts 

 which have not been fully established^ the basis of more or less preten- 



^ Under this head comes the use of entirely accidental methods of explanation, 

 which is but too frequent. From an accident anything may easily be explained, but 

 then such an explanation may be utterly worthless. Anything that is accidental has 

 in itself something inexplicable, and stands without its proper causal connection, and 

 it is much more difficult to assign its cause than to understand that fact which it is 

 intended to explain. 

 10 F 



