154 TAT ECONOMT AND EEAL ECONOMY. 



at present — namely, compete each against his fellow. The waste 

 of fishing power involved in the maintenance of the numher of 

 stations already quoted as helonging to the river Tay is lament- 

 able. If the river were formed into a joint-stock company, the 

 shares being allotted, say, on the average rentals of the last five 

 years, the salmon could be captured and sent to market at about 

 a fifth of the expense which is now incurred. The observance 

 of a proper close time on aU salmon streams is of great import- 

 ance — indeed, the key-note of their prosperity. Most salmon 

 rivers indicate their condition as truly as a thermometer in- 

 dicates heat or cold ; a change in their economy at once aflfects 

 the supply of fish, and can at once be detected. A proof of this 

 sensitiveness was aflforded by the introduction of bag-nets in the 

 estuary of the Tay. The quantity of salmon taken in the ten 

 years during which the stake-nets existed at Kinfauns fisheries 

 was diminished to 46,663 ; but after the removal of these nets 

 the quantity increased to 90,101 salmon. The take of grilse 

 diminished and was augmented in similar proportions. The 

 Tay has over and over again afforded a striking example of the 

 effects of mal-economy, and of the good results of wise legislation, 

 conscientiously carried into effect. In the year 1828, at which 

 time the rental of the Tay was above £14,000 a year, an Act of 

 Parliament came into operation which lengthened the fishing 

 season of every salmon river in Scotland, and, as a matter of 

 course, shortened the close season. That* Act inflicted great 

 injury on the Tay fisheries. The income derived from the river 

 at that date gradually dwindled down from the sum named to 

 less than half the amount. By a voluntary arrangement, the 

 proprietary, with one or two exceptions, restored in 1852 the 

 status quo, and stopped net fishing on the 26th of August instead 

 of the 14th of September. The fisheries soon began to respond 

 by increased supplies. But this golden age did not last. In 

 three years the agreement was broken through, ajid the reckless, 

 although perfectly legal, system of fishing was again resumed for 

 a year or two. At length a local Act was obtained, which greatly 

 improved the fisheries and augmented the rents, though, in fact, 

 the extra rest which had been afforded to the fish in the three 

 years during which the voluntary system was in force had already 

 done so much good that the bad system which was again resorted 

 to had not prevented the rental from beginning to rise, as has 

 been already shown in connection with the Stormontfield breed- 

 ing experiments. It is still thought by one or two of the Tay 



