BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 201 



100.— THE IIVFJLUENCE OF ARTIFICIAI. PROPAGATIOIV UPON PRO- 

 WUCTIOIV II>I>IJMTRATEI> BY THE SALMON IVORK OF THE SAC- 

 RAMENTO RBVER, CALIFORNIA. 



By CHAS. \¥. SMII.EY. 



It is understood that about four years are required for salmon to ma- 

 ture. I would therefore jjlace the yield of 1877 opposite the planting of 

 1873, and so on. For four successive years the yield has been nearly 

 double the yield of the years preceding the artificial propagation, which 

 commenced in 1873. This appears to have resulted from annually 

 planting about two million fry. The planting of 500,000 fry in 1873 and in 

 1874 appears to have increased the yield by about a million pounds 

 each year. No record of the production in Sacramento River prior to 1S75 

 is obtainable, but it is known to have been less than six million pounds. 



Young salmon hatched from eggs taken hy the United States Fish Commission and released 

 in the McCloud Biver, a triiiitary of the Sacramento, in California. 



Year. 



1871 

 1872 

 1873 

 1874 

 1875 

 1876 

 1877 



Month. 



September 



September 



September-October 

 September-October 

 October 



Number. 



None. 



None. 



500, 000 



500, 000 



850, 000 



1, 500, 000 



2, 200, 000 



Year. 



1878 

 1879 

 1880 

 1881 

 1882 



Month. 



October 



October 



October 



October 



October-November 



Nnmber. 



2, 500, 000 

 2, 000, 000 

 2, 000, 000 

 2, 2o(l, 000 

 4, 037, 000 



18, 337, 000 



Annual yield of the Sacramento River in salmon to the canneries. 



" The salmon were as numerous in the river this year as in any previous years, but the small num- 

 ber taken was due to a feud between the fishermen and the canners as to the price to be paid for the 

 fish. For three weeks in the height of the season no fish were taken, except for daily consumption in 

 San Francisco and other markets. 



Pounds. 



The average yield during the past three years was 9, 590, 984 



The average yield in 1875 and 1870, before any fruits of fish- 

 culture could have appeared, was 5, 205, 102 



Making a gain per annum due to fish-culture of 4, 391, 882 



