THE TWEED 29 



from 1845 to 1899, i.e. fifty-four years. The figures from 1860 

 onwards were given to Lord Elgin's Commission by the late 

 Sir William Grossman. 



Trout. 

 35,641 

 27,931 

 23,861 

 20,145 

 24,485 

 1,728 

 17,105 

 18,356 

 22,261 

 21,776 

 23,746 



The salmon column is wonderfully steady, but the grilse 

 column shows a marked decline. In the early days of plenty, 

 the netting, although no doubt less perfect in its working, was 

 more extensive in amount than it is now. Stell nets and cairn 

 nets, the fixed engines which used to be employed in the fresh 

 waters of Tweed, were only abolished (without compensation) 

 at the passing of the 1857 Tweed Act. On the other hand, 

 pollutions were not so serious as now : the Land Drainage 

 Acts came into operation only in 1846, and before that date the 

 floods lasted long, so that fish could secure better facilities 

 for ascending to their spawning grounds at an earlier date, 

 and salmon disease had not broken out. 



I am inclined to think that we are hardly able in these days 

 to estimate the change which must have taken place in the 

 Tweed since the rapid drainage from the land came into opera- 

 tion. The change has been gradual and therefore never 

 striking, but it has been very complete. The whole district of 

 Tweedside is like one huge farm, run on the most perfect 

 modern principles. The average rainfall is not heavy, and 

 varies apparently from 27 to 38^ inches. Water is quickly 

 carried off not only the high land of the upper basins, but 

 the rich undulating farm land of the main valley. Floods 

 rise suddenly and last a short time. When we consider that 

 in the Tweed and its tributaries there are no fewer than eighty- 

 three weirs, and that very many of these are unprovided with 

 fish-passes but accompanied by polluted water, the effect of 



