The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-11-22
SALMON PROPAGATE IN.
"A reply to smith D. Fry.

/
of the Salmon family, read with in
terest the statements made by MIR.
Fry in his article published in the
lola REGISTER.
! MIR. Fry states that the salmon is
gradually disappearing as did the But
/ falO (OI American Bison and if we do
not look To their preservation they too
will be but memory.
The foregoing statement would lead
one to believe that the Salmon is at
| the mercy of reckless fishermen and
that the United States or The State
Fish Commissioners do nothing TO
keep up the supply. This is far from
currect
The great work accomplished in
the past few years 10y the United
States aud California Fish Commits
sion cannot be Over-estimated.
Let this one statement suffice. The
/ Salmon aud Trout fisheries of the
] Il
than they have been at any time
since 1871.
This happy result is due 10 protect
i've laws and artificial propagation.
From Il commercial standpoint the
Salmon leads, especially in the Pac-
/ itic coast fisheries, aud owing to the
enormous demand for this favOrite
( fish. it's propagation becomes of great
/ Importance to the consumer as well
as the fisherman.
MIR. Fry says that some thing
should he done To keep up the sup
ply. Artificial propagation has not
only kept up the supply but has in
, creased il. For example; eight years
ago there were but few Salmon in the
McCIoud river. The United States
Fish Commission established hatch
cry at Baird, Cal, on this liver and
began To take the Salmon eggs and
hatch them 10y al artificial process.
Today the McCIoud stands foremost
a. a salmon stream.
Before the close OF the present sea
som The United States and California
Fish Commissions will nave placed
III the Salmon streams of northern
California 10000 600 young salmon.
These same hatcheries placed about
5000, 200 young trout in the streams
and lakes of California, making to-
tai of Is, 600, 900 fish planted in one
year.
The California Fish Commission is
building the largest Salmon hatch
cry in he world at Battle Creek, Cal.
The capacity OF :his hatchery will he
about 10000, 600 eggs.
While the condition of the Salmon
fisheries can be improved | bold it
roper to mention the work already
accomplished.
TO lessen the work of the Fish COIN
missions our law makers should EN-
act such laws as would protect the
fish during the spawning season. The
Legislature of this State is alive as to
The Importance of its fisheries and
has passed laws Masking it INSIDE
meanOr to spear salmon during the
spawning season or to place in any
stream any substance which would
prove deleteriOus to the fish.
One word to the skeptic who says
Fish Culture does not increase the
supply of food fishes. The sbad and
striped bass are two species of fish
indigenous to the Atlantic coast. The
United States Fish Commission tran
planted these fish in the waters of
the Pacific with result that has sur
prised the most .sanguine. The first
shad sold in San FranscicO market at
81 10 per pound but these fish have
become so plentiful that the 'catch"
is restricted by those controlling the
fish markets. | have seen shad
weighing from } to s pounds offered
for sale for cents each. This is but
one instance which goes to show the
money value of fish propagation.
Note the difference between the
natural and the artificial process.
Eggs deposited by parent fish are
preyed upon by many enemies and
very few, say per cent reach the age
of one year. The fish culturist takes
the eggs from the parent fish, accom-
plishes the fertilization by an arti-
ficiai process, and matches about 80
per cent of the eggs and rears the
young fish until they are able to take
care of themselves.
The Quinnat Salmon is tue king of !
its species. although there are, Cac-
coFding to Professor Jordan of the Lee
land Stanford, Jr. University,l five /
distinct varieties inha6ting the At
lantic aud Pacific coasts. OF these |
varieties all are edible except the !
Dog Salmon which is not considered
good food fish.
The fishing vessels now returning I
from Alaskan waters reuOrt the Sal !