The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-09-03

1eIul1Zeu spawn, the baskets are
placed in troughs through which
fresh water very gently flows.
Water for the Elk river troughs
is brought from a stream in the
vicinity, through 1900 feet of fume
The temperatureCof the water in a
measure modifes the progress of in
cubation. The water in the troughs
especially from the sixth to the
twelfth day must not be disturbed.
A ripple created by a stroke of the
hand being sufficient during that
period to destroy>a11 the eggs in the
trough, that is kill I25, 900 embryo
salmon. ~ n
In twenty days after the baskets
are placed in the troughs if an egg
from one Of them be held between
the eye and the SUN, a little fish can
be seen swimming about in it. A
salmon egg scarcely as large as a
coffee grain, is a small world for the
little salmon to live in but it is all
that he requires at this stage of in
cubation. In As to 48 days he has
out grown his egg andis swimming
about with the remains of it as a
g1obu1e attached to his head in the
vicinity of his gil1s. By this time
he has been removed to another
trough with larger apartments
where he has greater room for his
movements. The egg g1obu1e is
his food supply and it stays with
him, passing backward along his
body to the end of his tail. After
wards it passes under the body and
becomes a part of the belly. He is
then a full blown salmon and must
thereafter earn his living. This stage
in his development is reached in
about sixty days after the spawn is
placed in the Matching troughs.
If kept longer in the hatchery,
however, he is fed and his diet is
salmon. especially canned for the
purpose at the Columbia River Can
merry. Generally speaking, how
ever, very soon after reaching this
stage, he is set adrift in the waters
of the river, and allowed to shift
for himself.
So far the Elk river hatchery is
only temporary arrangement. Its
capacity as beginning, will be ten
Matching troughs capable of turn
ing off 1900, 900 small salmon in a
season. If sufficient spawn is
secured additional troughs can and
will be provided on brief notice
The question of whether or not the
hatchery will become permanent
will be determined by the success
that attends the temporary arrange
ment.
By the system in vogue at gov
ernment hatcheries more than so
per cent of the eggs are hatched.
Though any estimate in the case
is essentially random, experts be-
1ieve that not more than 10 to 20
per cent. possibly less, ofthe spawn
dropped naturally by salmon is
hatched. If left alone, salmon
spawn on gravel bars where the
swift water is uncongenial to hatch
ing and destructive of embryo eggs
This alone results in a vast waste
of salmon spawn. But even great
er waste is the destruction wrought /
by trout that feed on the spawn.
Often while the female is spawning
on the gravel bars the male is
dashing about in the vicinity fight
ing away trout that endeavor to
snatch the eggs as soon as they
are spawned. 1t is to protect the
spawn from these enemies that the
salmon after the spawning cover
the eggs up in the gravel. Even
in the basin at the Elk river hatch
cry a large trout is often seen con-
stantly at the side of the salmon,
waiting for spawning
time to come. The larger fish
occasionally chases him away but
like shadow he returus to his
wonted position as soon as the war
is over. If is because Of these con-
ditlons that the hand and brain of
man has gone to the assistance of
nature in the salmon proposition,
and the results whenever tried have
justified the most sanguine expect
ations.
Fish Commissioner Van Dusen of
Astoria. visited the Elk hatchery
Monday.
There is contract ready to be let at
CrameF's Organ & Carriage factory for
2 million los to be loaded on cars, I mil