﻿EDITORIAL 
  GLEANINGS-. 
  277 
  

  

  " 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  observed 
  that 
  shortly 
  after 
  tbe 
  almost 
  blank 
  years 
  1892 
  

   and 
  1893, 
  and 
  again 
  after 
  a 
  comparatively 
  small 
  year, 
  such 
  as 
  1897, 
  a 
  

   considerable, 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  case 
  a 
  very 
  large, 
  increase 
  is 
  shown 
  ; 
  while, 
  

   on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  a 
  considerable 
  diminution 
  generally 
  followed 
  the 
  big 
  

   years, 
  such 
  as 
  1894 
  and 
  1896, 
  1899 
  being 
  no 
  exception, 
  although 
  the 
  

   quantity 
  is 
  so 
  large, 
  as 
  in 
  that 
  year 
  newly-found 
  beds 
  continued 
  pro- 
  

   ductive 
  till 
  over-fishing 
  had 
  its 
  usual 
  result. 
  The 
  recuperative 
  power 
  

   of 
  the 
  Mussel 
  is 
  evidently 
  very 
  great, 
  a 
  couple 
  or 
  three 
  years 
  apparently 
  

   sufficing 
  to 
  restock 
  almost 
  exhausted 
  beds. 
  In 
  certain 
  circumstances 
  

   raking 
  and 
  dredging 
  cause 
  a 
  great 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  bivalves 
  besides 
  

   those 
  that 
  are 
  taken. 
  A 
  few 
  years 
  ago, 
  when 
  these 
  methods 
  of 
  capture 
  

   were 
  in 
  active 
  operation 
  on 
  some 
  beds 
  off 
  Marino 
  and 
  Cultra, 
  a 
  severe 
  

   north-westerly 
  gale 
  came 
  on, 
  with 
  the 
  result 
  that 
  an 
  enormous 
  quantity 
  

   of 
  Mussels, 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  forcibly 
  detached 
  from 
  their 
  natural 
  

   fc 
  moorings 
  ' 
  on 
  the 
  floor 
  of 
  the 
  sea, 
  were 
  driven 
  ashore 
  at 
  Cultra 
  Point, 
  

   where, 
  at 
  high-water 
  mark, 
  they 
  formed 
  a 
  ridge 
  about 
  sixty 
  yards 
  long, 
  

   two 
  yards 
  broad 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  aud 
  between 
  two 
  and 
  three 
  feet 
  high. 
  

  

  " 
  In 
  October, 
  1898, 
  the 
  Inspectors 
  of 
  Irish 
  Fisheries 
  held 
  an 
  inquiry 
  

   here, 
  with 
  the 
  result 
  that 
  a 
  close-time 
  for 
  Mussels 
  (from 
  May 
  15th 
  to 
  

   September 
  30th, 
  both 
  days 
  included) 
  was 
  promulgated. 
  This 
  I 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  very 
  desirable, 
  but 
  the 
  Mussel-fishers 
  objected 
  ; 
  and, 
  after 
  some 
  

   time, 
  the 
  restriction 
  was 
  either 
  modified 
  or 
  entirely 
  removed 
  — 
  I 
  forget 
  

   which 
  — 
  the 
  result 
  being 
  apparent 
  in 
  the 
  diminished 
  returns 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  

   couple 
  of 
  years. 
  This 
  year 
  I 
  saw 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  Mussel-boats 
  lying 
  in 
  

   Conn's 
  Water, 
  laid 
  up 
  unused. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  Mussels 
  fetched 
  10s. 
  per 
  ton 
  at 
  the 
  ship's 
  side, 
  and, 
  besides 
  

   those 
  exported, 
  some 
  were 
  used 
  for 
  bait 
  by 
  the 
  Ardglass 
  and 
  other 
  

   fishermen, 
  and 
  some 
  are 
  locally 
  used 
  as 
  food 
  ; 
  so 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  

   the 
  industry 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  some 
  importance 
  to 
  those 
  engaged 
  in 
  it, 
  and 
  

   its 
  recurrent 
  decline, 
  due, 
  in 
  my 
  opinion, 
  to 
  over-fishing, 
  is 
  much 
  to 
  be 
  

   regretted." 
  

  

  A 
  complaint 
  was 
  made 
  recently 
  by 
  some 
  American 
  fishermen 
  from 
  

   Newport 
  that 
  their 
  business 
  was 
  being 
  injured 
  by 
  the 
  battleship 
  

   'Illinois,' 
  which 
  was 
  engaged 
  in 
  target 
  practice. 
  The 
  fishermen 
  

   asserted 
  that 
  the 
  detonation 
  from 
  the 
  heavy 
  guns 
  had 
  the 
  same 
  effect 
  

   upon 
  the 
  fish 
  as 
  a 
  thunderstorm. 
  They 
  declared 
  that 
  the 
  fish 
  leave 
  

   the 
  surface, 
  and 
  remain 
  at 
  the 
  bottom 
  while 
  the 
  firing 
  is 
  in 
  progress. 
  

   These 
  conditions 
  prevail 
  within 
  the 
  radius 
  of 
  from 
  eight 
  to 
  ten 
  miles 
  

   of 
  the 
  vessel, 
  and 
  as 
  a 
  consequence 
  the 
  fishermen 
  said 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  

   obliged 
  to 
  abandon 
  their 
  work. 
  They 
  said 
  that 
  they 
  had 
  decided 
  to 
  

   lay 
  their 
  grievances 
  before 
  the 
  Secretary 
  of 
  the 
  Navy. 
  — 
  Sun, 
  June 
  25th. 
  

  

  