RESULTS OF THE TWEED ACTS. 157 



fish on two different rivers, on one of which he had eight miles 

 of water, on the other six. Princely rentals have been drawa 

 from the salmon rivers of Scotland. The Tweed alone at one 

 period gave to its proprietors an annual income of £20,000 ; 

 but although the price of fish has greatly increased of late years, 

 the rental of that river fell at one time to about a fifth part of 

 that sum, and the take of fish sank from 40,000 to 4000. 



Much curiosity has existed as to the results achieved, by 

 the Tweed Acts, the first really stringent code enforced on any 

 British river ; and although statistics in such matters, unless 

 taken over very extended periods, are not to be too implicitly relied 

 on, and much allowance must be made for the variations caused 

 by weather and unfavourable seasons during so short a period 

 as has elapsed, yet it is well worth while to ascertain what can 

 be learned concerning this experiment. With this view I have 

 consulted the very valuable and interesting series of tables which 

 has been compiled and printed for private circulation by Alex- 

 ander Eobertson, Esq., one of the Tweed Commissioners, and a 

 director of the Berwick Shipping Company. A brief reference 

 to the figures in these tables shows at once whether or not there 

 has been an improvement in the fishing. The total capture of 

 sahnon, grilse, and trout, in Tweed for the six years preceding 1857 

 was 50,209 salmon, 153,515 grilse, and 294,418 trout ; mak- 

 ing a yearly average of 8368 salmon, 25,586 grilse, and 49,069 

 trout. In the six years succeeding the Act — -viz. 1858 to 1863 

 — the total capture was 60,726 salmon, 124,182 grilse, and 

 175,538 trout ; being an average of 10,121, salmon, 20,697 

 grilse, and 29,256 trout. These are improving figures, taking 

 into account that the fishing season had been curtailed by a 

 period of four weeks. The total rent of the river in 1857 was 

 about .£5000 ; the rents during the last five years, as stated 

 for assessment of the Tweed tax, have been as follows : — In 

 1868, £9224 ; 1869, £9284 ; 1870, £9598 ; 1871, £9785 ; 

 1872, £9945. The average wholesale prices for the same 

 perio,d have been Is. 5d. per pound for salmon ; Is. per pound 

 for grilse ; and Is. 2Jd. per pound for trout. 



The English salmon-fisheries, generally speaking, were 

 allowed to fall into so low a state that it will be impossible to 

 recruit them in a moderate period of time without foreign aid. 

 It is difficult to select an English river that will in all respects 

 compare with the Tay, but the Severn produces the finest salmon 

 of any of the English salmon rivers ; and it is a noble stream, 



