54 UNPRODUCTIVENESS OF STREAMS- 



CHAPTER IV. 

 REASONS FOR THE UNPRODUCTIVENESS OF CERTAIN STREAMS, 



An allusion has been made to the value of fishing 

 ground in the deep sea, as compared with a similar 

 area of the best cultivated land ; I may also say that 

 the bed of a river of a well cultivated salmon fishery, 

 is found to be relatively a vast deal more valuable 

 than a similar area of the best cultivated soil on the 

 banks of any river ; at the same time, doubtless, 

 there are districts in the ocean, and in the rivers, 

 from their physical construction, as unproductive as 

 we find districts of unproductive land. This same 

 principle is alike applicable to some now unproductive 

 rivers, which must EVER remain unproductive from 

 their physical construction. But we have many 

 rivers in Ireland that are unproductive, NOT from 

 any physical defect in their salmon-producing powers, 

 but from another cause viz., the great number of 

 proprietors, which precludes the possibility of their 

 agreeing to adopt any practicable system of cultiva- 

 tion involving the outlay of capital in the removal of 

 natural and artificial obstructions, waterfalls, and 

 mill weirs ; in the requisite expense for protection to 

 the fish, and in the subsequent division of the produce 

 or annual income to be derived from such rivers. I 

 have no doubt this is the case in other countries. 



In order to remedy this difficulty it has been pro- 

 posed that the right to cultivate and kill the fish 

 in such rivers should be consolidated, and be con- 

 verted into what we denominate a " several or exelu- 

 sive fishery ;" that is, placed in the hands of one or 



