The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-12-08
NO. 1Os.

uVtS IN later years In an effort to restore
u after y has become unremuneratIye
through depletion caused by the lack Of
wise legislation for It's preservation.
As is well known. only the Chinook
'oncorhynehus choucha) have ever been
artihciaily propagated on the Columbia.
study OF tho statistics OF that river for
the past four years in connection with
this fact Is interesting and furnishes un-
mistnkable evidence that fish culture has
increased the abundance OF this specles.
"hils at the saine time there has been
great dlminution In the number Of steei-
heads CSalmo gardeulere) and blue hack
toneornynchus herlka) which have not
been propagated. The great falling on IN
the catch OF these flsh, especially the
Steetnead. Is causing considerable nm
easineas among those engaged In freez-
ing and shipping fresh flsh, II being pre-
ferred to all others for this purpose.
am Of the opinion that there Will be
great scarcity Of this species within a
tew years unless the state enacts laws
for their protection during their spawning
season. This would require a winter
close season as their spawning time ex-
tends frcm January to May. also recon-
mend that provision be made FOR the ar
tificial propagation Of these fish.
David Starr Jordan's statement In re-
gard to the salmon OF the Columbia a
particularly applicable 10 the steelnsad
just now:
Whether an actual reduction." he
says. "in the number OF Ash can he
proved or not, there can be no question
that the present rate OF the destruction
or salmon viii deplete the river before
many years. 80 A well ordered salmon
hatchery Is the only means by whych
the destruction Of the salmon fisheries Of
the Columbia river can be prevented.
This is certainly true Of the steelheaa.
which runs In the river during the eut,re
year and Under our present laws IA sub
jeS 20 u5e operation on the fishermen for
nearly ten months out Of the twelve. The
only won Ter Is that the river. under such
conditions, has not been depleted Of this
valuable fish ere this. II they are To be
preserved It Is absolutely essentIal mat
a winter close season be established ex.
tending from January Is to April Is. and
prompt provision made for their ARTIFICIAL
pronagation. Unless this is done they
will soon become so scarce as TO render
the frozen fish trade. so far as the steel
head Is concerned. uuremuneratiye 10
those who engage in IT.
II is fact not generally known thar
the steelhead (salmo gairdnerD is a better
shipping fsh than the chinook and for
this purpose. during part OF me season.
brought as high a price. Mlny letters
come to this Office making INQUIRIES IN
regard 10 the method employed in the ar
tif'cial propagation Of salmon only a
few years have elapsed since the intro
duction Of fish culture, out its practice
has advanced with rapid strides and Is
now an established art. yielding vast re-
suits for the benefit Of mankind. AS
Seth Green, one OF the fathers VI pise-
culture wrote years ago. 1--WE have titled
the ground for thousands OF years but
have just begun to till the water"
Although the practice Of fish culture ia
Of such recent date. there is no doubt
that the art has already added fmmeas-
urabiy to the food supply Of man by
preserving from extinction several spe-
cies oc fish life, notably the shad Of the
eastern coast rivers. 1t is also demon
tsrated by statistics that the fish cultural
operations at the Clackamas hatchery has
compensated in a considerable measure
for the constant and excessive overfsh-
Ing Of the Columbia river salmon. The
of this fishery show great de-
cline in the abundance Of blueback and
steelhead. while the decline in the annual
run Of chinook is much less All persons
who have given any study TO this question
agree in attributing as the cause of this
difference in the abundance Of the dlfrer-
ent species TO the fact that only the
latter fish is propagated. The woaderruI
Of artificial propag ltion Of SAL
mon over the natural spawning Of the
fish can be appreciated when 1t is known
that only ten per cent of the latter are
matched, while by means OF
artificial propagation s5 per cent OF the
eggs are saved The method employed in
the artificial propagation of salmon Is
very simple, but requires thorough knowi-
edge on the part Of the operator to be
successful.
The method employed in the artificial
propagation of salmon is as follows: A
'ack or fence of long fat pickets is built
across a stream, which the salmon ascend
% spawn. This fence is built at "a point
selected for its adaptIbilfty to the purpose.
near the head waters Of the
stream which the instinct Of the salmon
mpels It to seek. The object of the fence
" rack. which is put in before the nsn
,egin to run, is to hold them from pass
ng above the point selected for operating.
As the fish near the spawning period they
ire driven into a trap built of Stats or
Joards with an opening Through which
o drive them In. A female salmon is then
Continued on third page.)