The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-06
SALMON IN GREAT DEMAND
Es.ferner. Want the Pacific Coast
Ff.h-MEch Progress Made by
the Commission

WASHINGTON. Jan- s.-Prohah bly, never
in its history has the United States fish
commission accomplished nearly as much
work IN eight months as II did during the
period from April 20 December ! % last
year. The annual report 20 the commits
sion made By Commissioner B-ice directly
10 the president says that net only has
the ordinary work been steadily pursued.
on an enlarged scale. bat the field has
been much bT0adened. especially IN the
direction OF propagati1g rsh not before
the subject OF extensive cultivation. and
all q these attempts have been followed
By marked success
II CONGRESS approves bin submitted pro-
yi.fnE for few auxiliary stations. the
commissioner says ne viii be enabled 20
immensely Increase the output Of snad and
HOLSTERS IN the near future.
In The line Of new work steps were taken
TO prope gaze rsle rnackereI. which valuable
nsh - constantly falling. and a. co. 90 eggs
were collected
The Sa.naon work on the Pacific coast
has rece we'd comparatively little aFter-
ton during the past few years. but the
past season Commissioner Brtce made a
new xiepa-tllre and located auxiliary sta
lions on some OF Ehe streams tributary TO
the Columbia river 70 operate IN connec-
ton with the permanent station a. Ciack-
arnaz Or with the astonishing result OF
reducing the cost per thousand of salmon
eggs from SIS TO II cents Enough eggs
were taken to run the hatcherfes 10 their
full capacity and to send 5,Doo.eo0 to the
East for distributor The total take OF
salmon eggs-s7. 600 eoa-amounted 10 three
sfrnes as many as were ever collected be-
fore in a season Encouraged by the sue
cess Of tbs exper ment the commission
proposes the coming season 10 supplant all
the central satcheries IN the country by
small egg collecting stations 10 be run
only during the spawning season al small
expense.
Undismayed by the mysterious disap-
pearance OF a splendid lot Of Western sal
mon fry placed in Eastern rivers several
years ago. the commission is about 10
make another attempt 10 coionize the Pa
ctfc salmon IN the East. To accomplish
this 100000 eggs have been transferred
from the California stations TO New York,
Vermont and Maine. where they Will be
Matched and the fry liberated In the
Penobscot kennebec. Merrimae. Hudson,
Delaware and Susquehanna rivers.
The output of Atlantic or land-iocked
salmon has been largely increased and
the lake fisheries have been fostered. the
collection OF lake trout eggs being in
creased by 2.eo0o 600 TO 1900 600.
The whitefish work was set back by the
destruction Of the fishing gear in the
height OF the season. but IL is hoped that
the collection Of eggs Will amount TO l40.-
900 coo
To give the Pacific coast people an op-
portunity TO feast on the best fruits OF
Atlantic waters. the commission made
starts toward introducing them TO East
ern Holsters and diamoud-back terrapin.
They arrived in excellent condition and
were planted In Yaquina bay. Oregon,
and Holt bay. California. without loss.
The Holsters We're very difficult TO trans
port. but the eggbearing females were
safely deposited in Monterey bay. an
equivalent 10 1.a0o09 fry. The terrapin
Were deposited in suitable waters in San
Francisco bay.
In return the commission said that the
Atlantic coast and the lake jewellers would
like 10 have the steeIhead trout. one OF
the finesS game end food fish Of the Pa
cifc coast. where II attains a weight OF
eighty pounds on a maximum and an av-
erase OF ten pounds. Aggregated fry to
the number of $4,000 were deposited in the
waters Of Lakes Superior and Huron.
Summing up the work of the commits
sion the report shows that In the case OF
twelve more important food fish, the In
crease In planting has ranged from 10
per cent. to 50 per cent. The Tennessee
station authorized by congress is 10 be
located In Unic0i county. near Erwin. and
steps are to be taken to investigate tho
advsebilty Of establishing a station for
spearusn in the Black hills. Dakota.