REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 83 
spawn-taker expressed the eggs. In the meantime a male salmon, 
which had been gotten in readiness by tying a line securely around its 
caudal peduncle, was manipulated by a second assistant, who grasped 
the line near the tail of the fish with the left hand, drawing its head 
between the knees with the right, thus holding it securely suspended 
with the belly down. The pan containing the eggs was held immedi- 
ately below, and the milt expressed by the assistant with the right 
hand. Eggs and milt were carefully stirred until thoroughly mixed, 
when sufficient water to barely cover the eggs was added, and the mass 
again stirred to insure the milt coming in contact with every egg. 
They were then allowed to remain for 13 minutes, after which they 
were washed and transferred to the hatchery in buckets, 15,000 being 
placed in each bucket. 
For the first five days the eggs were picked; they were then covered 
and allowed to remain undisturbed until about 30 days old, when they 
were again washed thoroughly and picked at regular intervals until 
shortly before hatching, when they were distributed in the troughs, 
5,000 to each apartment, after which they were tended as before. 
The superintendent having been ordered to Washington, Mr. G. H. 
Tolbert assumed charge of the station on October 22, and the eggs on 
hand were hatched under his direction. 
Of the eggs taken, 4,953,000 were transferred to Clackamas and 
other stations; 5,620,000 fry were hatched from the balance, and the 
distribution was commenced on December 7. It is believed that this 
work could be much more satisfactorily performed with a small steam 
launch, and it is recommended that one be procured. 
As it had been decided to rear as many fry as possible, arrange- 
ments were made for a supply of fish food consisting principally of 
beef liver, ground and mixed with mill feed. Canned salmon was used 
as an experiment, but as it was not of good quality the results were 
not satisfactory. The young fish commenced taking food on Decem- 
ber 30, and the last of them were planted April 23. 
BAKER LAKE, WASHINGTON (H. H. BUCK, SUPERINTENDENT). 
Arrangements for the capture of blueback salmon were made, as 
usual, during the summer by the construction of racks near the mouth 
of the river. It has been the practice to put in the racks just above 
the lake to prevent the fish from ascending the stream. For about 
2 miles the river runs through an alluvial deposit of gravel and 
driftwood in several ever-changing channels, and with swift, strong 
current, often carrying immense trees torn from the banks higher up. 
The first year of the Commission’s work racks were built in five places 
and by constant attention and repair were kept in place through the 
season. Tis year a location nearer the lake was selected, where the 
river could be closed by two racks, but the principal one was carried 
away by a sharp rise of water on August 25, and no attempt was made 
to rebuild it, as it was thought that all of the fish had passed up that 
