Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-24

a silver belly when 1t Is young. Later 1t
becomes a deep crimson and the head Is a
bright olive green. AT all times the flesh
is brilliant red, -dFmer and drier than
that of the king sa1mon.with almost as fine
a flavor. The red salmon will average
about eight pounds in weight when it Is
four years old. 1t never spawns except in
river with a gravel bottom just above
where it flows into a lake,
DR.. Jordan says: 1.-The red salmon never
runs in river which does not flow into a
lake. The stream may be large or small.
Frazer river is more than half a mile
across and the Boca de Quadra stream
one may step across. 1t may be long or
short. The Yukon is nearly 5000 miles
long, and the rel salmon ascends to its
lakes, 1880 miles up stream. The Boca de
Quadra, noted for its red salmon flows out
from its lake at a point within ten rods of
the sea. Large or small clear or turbid a
salmon. For this reason, If not for others.
1t is unknown in the Sacramento, and in
the Ketchicam, Skaguay, Dyea and other
streams of Alaska, which would be other
wise available
Prices cf Salmon.
70 Mr.. Huntoon, manager of the Pacific
American Fisheries Company, at Belling-
ham, tells me that the sockeyes in Puget
Sound average about eight pounds in
weight. They travel from twelve to fifteen
miles day, generally keeping close to the
shore until they find their parent river.
During a big year like 1901 they sell, big
or little. for u cents each. Last year,
which was a poor run, they were % cents.
This summer they have been 30 cents
apiece.
The silver salmon is a rather poor fish.
and sells at low prices. When canned it Is
worth only about half as much as the
red salmon. The humpback is still cheap
err, but is regarded as food for the poor
who cannot afford the better grades. and
is sold largely in the southern states among
the negroes, in Japan, China and other
countries of the east in the mining camps,
to Indian traders. and considerable guam
tity is shipped to Central and South Amer
lea. The humpback salmon Is quite .as
nutritive as the higher grades, but lacks
the flavor DR.. Jordan says that the dog
salmon should not be canned at all. be-
cause it will not keep. but large quantities
OF 1t are put up by packers when no other
fish are running in order to keep their
plants in operation. The wholesale price
of dog salmon is SLIGO per case of forty
eight cans. although it costs at least 50 to
put up case of fish. The tins cost IS cents.
the boxes IL cents, the labels cents, the
labor 50 cents, the freight 80 cents per case
of forty-eight cans, and other charges ac-
cordingly.
The humpback salmon is worth about 50
or S22o per case; the silver salmOn--from
$260 to 81 the red salmon from s. ito 81
and the chinook from So. so to $3.50.
Those who want the best canned salmon
SIouiu require their grocer TO furnish them
king salmon or sockeye.
The humpback salmon comes only every
other year, and nobody seems to know why.
1t Is a most extraordinary fish. As long as
IT is In salt water 1t is shapely and beau
tiful but as soon as II strikes fresh water
a hump begins to grow on its back and
then from five to ten days later, after 1t
has cast It's spawn, the hump sloughs off
and the fish dies. .is3
DR.. Jordan's Theory.
Fishermen believe that salmon always re-
turn to spawn and die at the very place
where they were born. Scientists dispute
this theory in detail but are Willing to adj
NIT that 1T is generally true. Dr.. Jordan,
for example. who, as have told you, is the
highest authority, says that nearly all SAL
mon return to the region and generally
speaking, to the same stream in which they
were spawned, although he declares that
there Is no reason to believe that the fish
are aware of the fact At the same time
he admits that this subject is much In need
OF further Investigation, and he Is willing
to change his opinion If convincing evidence
Is presented
He explains that the lives of the salmon.
between their first and fourth years. are
spent In deep sea water, but they seldom
go more than thirty or forty miles from the
mouth OF the stream In which they were
spawned. When 1t comes time for them to
seek fresh water they naturally follow the
coast to the nearest stream, and tho
chances are that they will hnd the one In
which they happened to be Matched. I'm
doubtedly," DR.. Jordan says. many saiuaon
ascend or try to ascend streams In which
no salmon was ever Matched. In little
brooks about Puget sound. where they wa
ter y not three inches deer, are often found
tered them for the purpose of epaHning.
Il y said OF the Russian E5Esr end othari
California rivers that fhsir snouths'sin til