OF THE COUNTY OF DOWN. 251 



twenty- five years in the mode of felling grain, which 

 previous to that was fold by meafure ; now, except in. 

 fome inftances, it is by weight, and the fame of pota- 

 toes. 



SECT. 3. Fljberies. 



THE fisheries on our coafts would be extremely va- 

 luable, were they properly attended to ; boats from 

 Rum (and formerly from Liverpool) come to trawl in 

 Dundrum bay, and carry off great quantities of turbot, 

 fole, plaice, cod, and haddock, whilfl the inhabitants 

 of the more, from want of proper apparatus, get com- 

 paratively few. At Bangor theje is a confiderable 

 fifhery of fole, plaice, bret, a few turbot, and in winter 

 of cod and excellent oyfters. "Herrings have been 

 frequently taken in large quantities in Strangford lake, 

 where it is faid they are to be had the whole year, but 

 with refpeft to fatnefs or flavour they are much infe- 

 rior to thofe taken on the coaft of the main fea ; from 

 what caufe this degeneracy proceeds, whether they go 

 into the lake to fpawn, or whether their food there is 

 of a wqrfe kind, I cannot take upon me to determine ; 

 but the faft is, we would rather give five millings an 

 hundred for thofe taken in the open fea, than three 

 (hillings for thofe caught in the lake." Sometimes her- 

 rings come clofe to our mores, but in general they keep 

 K k 2 farther 



