The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-12-30

establishment Ia exccllently equipped
and hundreds OF tons " salmon are an.
nually lnoacn there or shipment to tho
east and 60 EuOpc, The visitors worp
worry much interested and were given
scientific lecture on tho prNoccsa by tho
etilCient manager OF the company, A
large amount OF tho July run OF chinook
salmon Ia now STORED In tho buidlns and
will bo shipped ahroad this winter
Tho work ot taking and stripping sal.
mon for tho hatcher" Was Thoroughly
explained by Superintendent Crawford
az Tho kalam0 institution This hatchery
while not largc, Ia conductcd Ia the most
approved manner Fhc building Ia as
ncat as Il could possibly be, and all Iho
assistants aro mon we'll Ny In modern
propagation Tho location Ia an dcal
one Tho hatchery Is situated ON Codar
creek. a beautiful stroam. which emp.
ties into tho Kalama river Tho site 10
a natural ono for a hatchery. and the
best results arc obtained there,
superintendent Crawfod's manner ot
stripping salmon Is explained aa follows,
lilo has a box into which the female
salmon is placed, slide coming down
over It's head to prevent tho nsh from
struggling By pressing tho salmon's
belly tho spawn Is extracted, The male
salmon Is then put through the same
ordeal, and tho mllt Ia spread over tho
spawn, The eggs arc then taken to the
hatchery, whcro they aN placcd In
grstth.Hh -. a k. ka uN
ling tho spawn. aud attendants are at
tho hatchery night and day, Mt Craw.
ford has arranged tWo hltcrs, through
which all tho water used at tho hatchery
passes. This assurvs clear water az all
times ot tho year. and tho trOughs arc
kept clean without trouble Muddy water
interfercs with tho growth OF the small
FRY, and causes tho workers AZ tho hat
Chory much annoyance.
When tho party visited tho hatchery
there were but two unmatched cggs In
tho troughs Six and half million cggs
had been placed thcro about two months
ago, and ot this vast number. incrcdlble
as Il may seem. all but Two had developed
into lively httlo chinook salmon Two ~
the cggs had been hatchrd thai day, Tho
salmon arc turned loose when tho scar
on their bellies is healed Tho theory Is
that tho young nsh live on the eggs from
which they come and when they arc com. F..
ple,ely gone they must provide Tor them /.
solves. The cgg clngs 20 the belly Tor I
about two months. WHOM u has almost /.
entirely disappeared The scar becomes I
smaller and smaller. and soon Is gone. I
Tho salmon Is then considcrgd ahlc.bojlcd .
and is turned into tho Kalama river 70 .
rustic for Itself
In the eight troughs az the hatchery .
there arc about $4,000 young hsh This
slght Is well worth tho trip Tho boxes
0ro literally alive with restless lltu,
salmon. which wear themselves out try
ing 20 shoot tho miniature falls pro-
vdcd In tho troughs. and fan back. cN.
hausied The youngest nsh are but a few
days old. while those almost ready for
the Columbia are from two months 90 10
weeks Old Specimens of l.montha-oM
salmon wero shown tho party by Mr
Crawford. The nsh are about thrcc inches
In length. on an average. In two or two
and a half years they grow 70 welsh
from 20 TO 6 pounds This was demon
strated by Commissioner McGulrc's
marked salmon. many Of which were
turned out OF the hatchery two and
half years previous, and tho larges, taken
weighed q pounds
The hatchery officials have but little
trouble during the winter although heat
Ing apparatus Is provided for use In
very cold weather Thus far this year
only a small scum of Ice has formed
within the hatchery.
II Is a remarkable fact that salmon
die after spawning. tho male as well as
well as tho female. seldom reaching the
sea after leaving the spawning grounds.
Owing to the immense number Of eeiss /,
deposited by tho female. however the
natural death OF the old hsh probably
does not noticeaby reduce the salmon
family.
The trip was very interesting. and too
much cannot bo said OF the handsome
manner In which Mr.. Crawford provided
for his guests For the frs, time In
the history Of the Industry governor
has visited the hatchery. and, since he
has learned tho wonderful results Oh
tainable from propagation. he has BE-
come enthusiastic over tho work.
1T ls not an Astoria proposition" said
Governor Geer 10 an Astorian man. 1T
Is a matter which vitally concerns the
entlrs state II affects the worlds food
supply and should be given every cncOur-
agement by the states OF oregon and
by tho expenditure of So
40 or 5000 oregon can increase the out
put Of salmon ten fold-can Increase the
value Of the yearly output from S2NOp0
to S95Oo0g0 am heartily IN favor of
a liberal appropriation FOR this work,
and you can count on me 20 do what I
can 10 secure the money necessary Tor
the hatchcres proposed by Commission
er Mcclure. II Is the greatest industry
which has ever come 10 my notice; IL Is
simply wonderful Oregon wants MON
hatcheries. and right away. ! wish every
man in the state could visit the Kalama
Institution. The people do not know
what q gold mine such institutions arr"
The governor has specimens Of salmon
In different stages-fnom the egg tJ the
Beven-lnch, spotted beauty He prizes
them very highly. Mr. Crawford also
Messrs. Mcclure and Van Dusen
with specimens.