The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-03-27
ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION.
A Conversation About Salmon Breed
ing-Mr. Hume Defended.
(Oregonian.)

Salem, March 23.-CTo the Editor.)-
Commenting In the presence Of two
others on your mention Of Mr. Hume's
operations in salmon breeding on the
Rogue River, one of my friends, who
travels about Oregon considerable just
for his own pleasure, and has more
than once been at MIR. Hume's cannery,
remarked that he noted complaints OF
Mr.. Hume in the columns of the Ore
gonian, which he could not ascribe to
any other cause than envy of the mans
success. For" he said, II am very
sure Mr.. Hume has done more to de-
velop the resources Of that region than
any dozen other men there" My 9th.
er friend remarked: Eyes, and the
good he has done, so far as the salmy
on interests of the Rogue river is con-
cerned, lis not enjoyed by himself or
local ito his cannery. Salmon fishing
was not a sport at Grants Pass pre-
vious to Hume's beginning his hatch
cry"
From this we pass to the probable
value ot the state making the most
of our salmon streams by systematic
artificial propagation and protection.
Upon which the writer remarked that
he had full faith in the possibility OF
stocking all the salmon streams OF Or
egon with the best variety that enters
the Columbia river-conceded to be the
Chinook
The last friends quoted remarked he
Thought there must be a natural law
of adaptation that intervenes or the
Chinook would get into the smaller
coast streams of themselves" 10 this
[ replied that natural law unassisted
produced an apple native to Oregon
smaller than an average grape, and
no pears, plums, or grapes north OF
Ihe Umpqua valley. The native cherry
is small and bitter but with those
fruits of outside introduced we could
challenge the world for size and quail
ity. The same being true as to domes-
tic animals, believe 1T will be proved
as true with reference to salmon as to
the sheep and cattle that Craze in our
pastures. l further commented on the
praiseworthy effort Mr.. MCGUIRE Is
making to start the propagation of
salmon, which brought out another re-
v,,bf I 1.a1Nnat a
gestion. For many years I had had in
my mind the possibflity-the feaslbil>
ity, if you please-of a salmon hatch
cry conducted on the deck of large
scow or barge, moored close up to the
falls of the Willamette ait Oregon City;
upon the tight upper deck of which
a system of breeding troughs could be
arranged supplied with water from the
falls, and which could also be furnish
ed with a crane and large dipnet TO
lift the breeding fish from the river
and kept for use in ''live" boxes. The
mode of catching salmon at those falls
was an idea that came to me so years
GsSO Wlltn MdlOIllll5 NulG
taking the splendid fish with "a dipnet
in a hoop not more than three feet
in diameter fastened on the end OF
4 slim pole 20 10 25 feet long, the In
dian, standing on the end of a plank
like a spring board, and playing his
net by pushing the hoop into the wa
ter, as far up stream and as deep as
he could reach, and fetching 1t down
stream with a sweeping motion 1t
was a fine sight to see a finely formed
indian, naked to the waist, and with
bare feet, fetch a large, struggling
salmon up to the end of that almost
always wet and slippery plank, and
.arefuily carry it to the rock. on which
generally some of his womanl1ind were
Waiting to receive it, and either take ii
20 the embryo city for sale for 25 cents
OF barter, or to prepare for use or to
cure by sun-drying. No such quaint
ty of salmon reach the falls at Oregon
city now as did them but yet it seems
10 me for a hatchery located there in
some such manner as l have indicated
abundance of seed fish could be taken
not only to hatch large numbers there,
but to send the ripe spawn by rail to
the headwaters of the Siletz, Siuslaw,
Elk, Umpqua, and Rogue rivers. / do
not believe the essential requirements
of salmon breeding are limited to any
particular locality or river like the
Clackamas. The whole subject is yet
largely in its experimental stage What
United States Fish Commissioner Nc
Donald has learned or can learn, other
men and women even may and can
learn. and the present and future in
habitants of Oregon have very great
interests in preserving and increasing
the resources of our salmon fisheries.
At this stage of the talk Mr.. Hume's
friend broke in with. well II Mr.
Hume just got a hint of the beliefs
you are declaring, he would be one of
the first men in Oregon to make trial
of them; he is just that kind OF
man" Then 1 replied, II hope his
days viii be long in the land and his
kind multiplied" II ne 50 desires to
try the Chinook, I should think he
could procure the seed fish by "lIve"
boxes sent from the Chinook spit itself
By SEA and I sincerely hope he may.
nr Drfceyc Cream r.atrfn0 povvder