The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-10-26
MANY SALMON AT
UNDERWOOD HATCHERY

Seven million hngerlings, or minnow
salmon, will be dumped into the White
Salmon river within the next 60 days.
For the past two weeks half a dozen
men, under d. Vim, have been collect
ling eggs, fertilizing them and placing
them in the state hatchery one mile
beyond Underwood.
1t is an Interesting process, the col
lection of these pink eggs about as
large as a good sized pea. For some
time great schools of salmon, mostly
chinook, have been beating their way
up the Columbia, even as far as Idaho,
nosing out grayelly places for the
throwing of their eggs. Accompany
ing the females are the males. which,
when the spawn is thrown fertllizes
them with a milky deposit, after which
both drift away and die. salmon
always dies after spawning, seemingly
sacrificing themselves for the "preser-
walton of the race.
The White Salmon is a favorite
spawning ground. where the state has
devised ways and means for their cap
ture. At the mouth of the stream a
trap is built so the fish can get through
but cannot get back. Some distance
up the stream dam is made, cutting
off farther progress. After dark the
men make a sweep with the net and
dozens of big ones, sometimes weigh
ing 30 pounds each, are hauled in and
dumped into the killing pens. On the
following morning the egg collectors
pick out the females ripe for the kill
ing the eggs must all be separate
rap them on the head with club.
chop off the tails for bleeding, open
them and deposit the eggs in large
pan. A male is then grabbed by the
tail, pulled from the pen and his milk
scattered over the eggs, which quickly
absorb the fluid and are thereby fer
tilted.
The dead salmon are given away,
both to Whites and Indians, 30 of the |
latter being eamped on the river to-
provide themselves with winter meat
and trade the surplus for other desir-
ables. The squaws grnnt out their |
displeasure at the ranchers taking the
fish, and will slap youngster out of |
the way if necessary. 1t makes no
difference to them if the salmon is |
yellow with fungus, or parasites, al |
ready so decayed that death would |
quickly follow after spawning, cut |
them up, even the heads, string them |
on poles for sun drying, the process
being completed by smoking in huts. A |
small fire is kept going all the time in |
these salmon-hung, fish smelling huts,
families sleeping and eating amongst |
it.
The cans of salmon eggs are carried |
to the hatchery, where they are placed |
in baskets containing about rs, 900 eggs |
each. These wire baskets are arranged |
IN troughs on standards, so that run |
ming water from large spring is con-
stantly passing through them A man
is kept busy picking out bad eggs, the
percentage of which is infinitesimally |
small. After few days the eggs be-
come so tender for one week that the
least jog is liable to spoil the whole
basketful, but after that they may be
handled without danger, shipped long
distances, many of them having been
sent to foreign countries even.and ar
irving in good condition.
In about 10 days the great mass of
pretty pink eggs become little wrig-
CLING "strings." Growing into fish
shape they are nursed at the hatchery
on beef liver and mush until about an
inch to an inch and one. half long, when
they are siphoned into pals and dumped
.lptQ the White Salmon, scooting for |
the protecting rocks so quickly that not
one is left in sight, for they have their
enemies, particularly the naughty
trout When large enough to feel /
their fins they strike out into the big
river. down past Astoria and out to
sea. again coming back in four to six
years to spawn and die-that is, if the
have been successful in running the |
gauntlet of the net and gill men and
the fish wheels. for the salmon industry
of the Columbia runs into the millions
of dollars
1t is believed by the hatchery people
that salmon come back to the place
where they were hatched to spawn,
which is one reason being that they
have the rocks for protection. Since
the collection of eggs has been in prac-
tice there has been very noticeable
increase in the output of salmon, for
the percentage of successfully hatched
salmon to the amount of eggs thrown
in the natural way is very small. -
White Salmon Enterprise.