Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-02-10
TO PROVE OR DISPROVE
THE HUME INDUSTRY
viii Mark Salmon After Spawning and
Turn Them Loose in Tidewater
to Settle Matter.
Coos Bay Harbor.)

Coos Bay Harbor.)
Superintendent f. w. Smith, of the
Coos river hatcheries, has secured
about 4,5OO,OOO chinook eggs at the
South Coos river hatchery, which is
all that the plant can properly care
for and at the Coquille hatchery he
secured about 100000, of which 5OO,-
900 are chinook eggs, the balance be-
ing silversides.
We learn from Mr.. Smith that
Master Fish Warden Clanton is anx-
ious to settle definitely the question
as to whether or not salmon which
have spawned will live, If given a
chance to return to the ocean. AS a
general rule salmon ascend the
streams as far as possible during the
high water, and, after the spawning
season they die, making no attempt to
return to the ocean. The late R. D.
Hume, who was competent authority
on matters connected with salmon
propagation, concurred in the general
belief, but stated If by any means the
old worn-out fish ever reached salt
water that they take on new life and
soon become as lively and plump as
ever Mr.. Clanton sent down 20
tags to the Coos river hatchery, to be
fastened to the dorsal fins Of old fish,
with the object Of testing Mr.. Hume's
statement. Ten of these tagged sal
mon we're liberated Friday in the bay
opposite the cold storage plant, when
strong ebb tide was running, and Su-
perintendent Smith intends taking ten
more to the entrance of the harbor
and liberating them there. 1t is to be
hoped that these salmon will escape
the fishermen's nets, which are now
set for steelheads, so that the fish may
have a chance to get to sea and veri-
fly or disprove the Hume theory.
Mr., Hume, in his pamphlet entitled
Salmon Of the Pacific Coast" pub
lished in 1893, followed the fish from
the ocean to the rifles or gravel bars
where their spawning beds are locat-
ed; tells how the male digs out a
spawning bed, etc, and in the follow
ing paragraph makes the statement
above alluded to, which has ever since
been the subject of much criticism.
after the work of propagation Is
completed they still remain on guard,
fighting away any other fish which
may go upon the spawning beds, un-
til, worn out with their eXertions,
they float down the stream dead, with
the exception that when a sudden
freshet comes in the river some of the
stronger ones may be swept down to
the bracklsh water, where, although
they arrive sick and sore, they take on
new life, their sores are healed, and in
four months they are as lively and
plump as ever.
"In verification of this proposition,
the writer will state that at his hatch
cry the adult fish, after spawning,
have been marked and returned to the
river and four months later have been
caught, and that they were in as fine
condition as ever, besides having in
creased considerably in weight. I will
also state that at the spawning time
the male fish had the hooked nose and
long teeth, which in some localities
gain for them the name of dog" sal
mon, and that when they were first
put into the ripening ponds, and when
taken out the second time (the follow
ing spring. they showed no such pc
culiarity, the disfigurement being
caused by the wasting process incl
dent to the preparation for fecunda-
tlon, and the fact that no food was
taken in the meantime, causing a
shrinkage Of the flesh about the
mouth, leaving the teeth exposed, and
contraction Of the muscles Of the
face, which draws the nose or beali
into hooked" shape.