THE FISHERIES. 93 



marvels which the present age has ah^eady accom- 

 phshed. 



But a serious difficulty, as we have already inti- 

 mated, is to be encountered in Ireland, in dealing in 

 this way with rivers, as no individual has such an 

 exclusive property in any river, and the coast ad- 

 joining, as would enable him, or would warrant, his 

 entering upon such large experiments. We shall, 

 however, at all events, carefully observe and note 

 any " progress " that may be made in this line in 

 Scotland, or by the French Commission just appoint- 

 ed — from which latter, important results are expected. 

 In the meantime, our suggestion would be — adopt, 

 without further loss of time, the practical measures 

 for the resuscitation of the Irish Salmon-fisheries, 

 contained in the Bill lately before Parliament ; and, 

 faihng these, we can then have recourse to the French 

 methods. 



But since these processes can at all times be availed 

 of, advantageously, in small, and in much exhausted 

 rivers — as the breeding of salmon-fry, by artificial 

 means, in enclosed streams or ponds, will be always 

 an aid, and useful addition, to the ordinary stock of 

 salmon-fry produced in the river ; and since it may 

 be assumed, and taken as a general rule, that the 

 greater the mass of salmon-fry, sent down to the sea, 

 the greater will be the per-centage that may be ex- 

 pected to return ; — for all these reasons, we think it 

 would be well, to have in the new measure, a clause 

 exempting from the penalties of the Act, any per- 



