Salmon Ladders For the salmon in general ladders, so called,
are provided ; and these are of a strange variety. Some are by-passes of three- quarters of a mile or so in length ; and in no case is the salmon asked to ascend by rungs, so to say. He need never leap. Every " ladder " provides a continuous swim. A very great many thousand pounds have been spent on these by-passes and they are well worth the money. It would be a wasteful cruelty to prevent the fish following their hereditary instinct to run up this river and that. One completely new device has been invented and tried out. In place of a long lateral stream a tower has been built containing a spiral stream ; and up the stairs, round and round, the fish swim readily to the haven of the upper reach. The plan is ingenious, and I believe efficient, but my evidence on the last point is meagre. In general it is found, though experience is short, that the fish have not been in the least baulked by the harnessing. They have properly appreciated the efforts made on their behalf. The most attractive part of these ladders is the resting pool provided at each turn of the zig-zag. These are roomy and sufficiently deep. A tired fish can rest comfortably for as long as it pleases before dashing upwards again through the successive cascades. There are these who fear that the ladders offer facilities for night poaching ; but, if there is such a drawback, it is not of essential importance.
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