White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1933-06-08

mountable distractions or falls In
the Snake river and Yukon river the
spawning grounds lie 1000 miles by
water from the sea.
The spawning streams Of the Red
salmon are those that rise In lakes.
and the spawning grounds are in the
affluents Of those lakes The run be-
gins in May and fish continue to come
in until October, depending on latt-
tude.
The Silver salmon enters the
streams from July to October or No
vember, but does not as rule ascend
for long distances.
The Humpback runs into fresh wa
ter in summer and fall, preferably In
short coast streams, and often spaWns
within few rods of the ocean.
The schools of Dog salmon come In
to the stream rather late; in the Co
lumbia river and Puget Sound the run
extends from August to late IN NO
vember, and in Alaska the height OF
the season is about The first OF Sep
tember
Now, whether the salmon travel In
the streams 1000 miles or 200 feet to
reach their spawning grounds and re-
CARELESS of their physical condition at
the time they arrive at the particular
| places required for the proper devel-
opment of eggs and young. every indl-
vidual of every species dies shortly
after spawning. This is the most
characteristic and remarkable event
in the life of the Pacific salmons.
Why this is the case is one Of ma
lures mysteries. 1t has it's parallel
| in some other fishes, in the may fly,
| which perishes after few hours ex-
istence, and in the annual plants. one
| can only say of such that they have
served their purpose and are no long
| er needed.
Periods of Abundance.
While the Pacific salmons run with
more or less regularity, year after
year. two of the species exhibit, in
particular streams or regions, a
marked periodicity in abundance which
is so we'll established that it can be
predicted with certainty years In ad-
vance.
The Blueback, or Sockeye, in GER
tain streams shows q climax In abun-
dance every fourth year. This Is es-
pecially marked in Puget sound and
| vi, VIII hn 7O0S
1909, for example, were, characterized
by immense runs, while in 1906 and
1910 the abundance, as shown by the
catch, was only one-fourth or one-ffth
as great.
Artificial Propagation.
The artificial propagation Of sal
mon in the streams of the Pacific sea-
board began at a comparatively early
date and has continued with yearly In
creasing extent and Importance, SO
that at the present time more hatch
cries are devoted to the Pacific sal
mons than to any other fishes OF the
western hemisphere. The vast inter
ests at stake have appeared to war
rant and to require all the money that
I could properly be expended by the
federal and state governments for sal
mon culture.
The first salmon hatchery in the
West was established in 1872, on the
McCloud river in California. BY TX
ecutive order there was set aside q
large tract for a "piscicultural pre-.
serve" which was fttingly named
Baird, after the first national com
missioner of fisheries; and Living
stone Stone, a pioneer fish culturist
was placed in charge and continued
in that capacity for many years, over
coming many obstacles, undergoing
many privations, repeatedly subjected
to great danger from attacks Of In
dians and outlaws, while devisine
methods which showed the possibili
ties of salmon culture and led to the
present extraordinary development Of
this art.
The original Baird hatchery, still IL
active operation, is now supplemented
by numerous other government sta
tons, which may be regarded as linea
| descendants.
1 The eggs of the salmons are 2 tt
25-inch in diameter. and are the larg
est handled by the fish culturist. The,
are easily obtained by intercepting thu
fish on their way to the spawnfns
grounds by means of racks, traps
seines. ETC., and then, when exactl!
ripe, by expressing by firm pressure
on the abdomen.
Not Easy to Handle. Wy
The size and activity of the salmon'