448 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



f 



tion to these advantages, all sediment accumulating about the eggs can 

 be easily run off by gently moving the tray up and down a few times in 

 the water. Besides the tray for hatching the eggs jn the troughs, I used 

 floating wire-boxes, placed in the river-current, with very good success. 

 These, unlike the famous shad-hatching boxes, rested horizontally in the 

 water. We had remarkably good lack this season; not a single mishap 

 occurring to any of the vast number of eggs, either in the taking or the 

 ripening of them. 



PACKING THE EGGS. 



The eggs were packed for shipment this year on the same general plan 

 that was adopted last year. The packing-boxes were made two feet 

 square and one foot deep. At the bottom of the box was placed a thick 

 layer of moss, then came one thickness of mosquito-bar, then a layer of 

 eggs, then mosquito-bar again, then other successive layers of moss, net- 

 ting, eggs, netting, and so on to the middle of the box. Here a firm wood- 

 en partition was fastened in, and the packing renewed above the parti- 

 tion in the same manner as below. The cover was then screwed on the 

 top and another box packed. When two boxes were ready, they were 

 placed on wooden crates made large enough to allow a space of three 

 inches on all sides of the boxes. This space was filled with hay to 

 protect the eggs against changes of temperature. The cover being put 

 on the crate and the marking done, the eggs were ready to ship. 



This plan of packing, in spite of many severe criticisms that have 

 been made upon it, seems to work remarkably well. Of those sent to 

 Great Salt Lake in 1873, distant a thousand miles, only 3 per cent, were 

 lost. Seth Green reports a loss on the 200,000 eggs consigned to him in 

 1S73, of only 11 per cent, in both the transportation and hatching. Mr. 

 James Thompson, of New Hope, Pa., writes as follows of the eggs sent 

 him this season: "The 150,000 salmon-eggs shipped from Califor- 

 nia arrived in splendid order." The entire loss on this lot in transpor- 

 tation and hatching was only 6 per cent. 



These facts seem to show that the packing is all right. The trouble 

 with those who found fault with it is that they do not understand what 

 it is that kills the eggs in the lots that do not go well. The mischief is 

 not in the packing, but in the high temperature to which the eggs are 

 exposed in transit. I will agree to take any of these lots of eggs to New 

 York and back to California in this packing without serious loss, if I 

 can have entire control of the temperature of the crates. But what can 

 be expected of eggs that are packed in a hot climate, to begin with ; are 

 compelled to travel a whole day in a temperature often much above 

 100°, and then for several days either where the weather keeps them 

 warm naturally or where the car containing them is artificially heated 

 to an excessive degree, as is the case with the express-cars which con- 

 vey them ; and when, in addition to all this, they are delayed by negli- 

 gent express-agents several days beyond the regular time % I challenge 

 any one, whatever may be his ingenuity or skill, to pack salmon-eggs so 



