REPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 17 



able in that field and now going to waste was again demonstrated by 

 the collection of upward of 277.000,000 eggs of the former species. 

 Owing to the lack of hatching facilities most of these eggs had to be 

 sent to the State hatchery at Detroit for development. 



In response to the continued demand for Government aid in main- 

 taining the supply of carp in the western end of Lake Erie, large 

 numbers of eggs of that important fish were obtained for hatching 

 in cooperation with the Ohio fishermen. 



rROPAGATIOX OF THE PACIFIC SALMONS. 



Hatching and rearing of the Pacific salmons are conducted in Cali- 

 fornia, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, and all of the five 

 species, together with the stcelhead, are usually handled, although in 

 the past fiscal year no eggs of the pink salmon were secured. 



There was a good run of chinook salmon in the Oregon and Cali- 

 fornia fields, and the only reason for not obtaining record-breaking 

 collections of eggs was that very heavy floods occurred at tlie height 

 of the spawning season, permitting the escape of the fish that were 

 being held below the racks. The floods were especially severe in Cali- 

 fornia, interrupting all railroad and highway travel for a number 

 of days. The work was therefore a practical failure at all points in 

 those States. 



At the now location on Snake River. Idaho, a collection of 0,000,000 

 chinook e^iix^ from the spring run of salmon was made. The floods 

 in this region during the fall of 1920 wei-e in sharj) contrast to the 

 conditions encountered during the preceding fall, when the prevail- 

 ing drouth and low-water stages in the spawning streams were such 

 as to seriously handicap the work. 



Owing to the limited funds available for salmon work in the 

 Washington field, the two substations closed last season were not 

 reopened. The run of chum salmon in Hood Canal was considerably 

 larger than last year, thus i)ermitting increased egg collections at all 

 the Federal stations in that region. This outcome is attributed to 

 less extensiAc commercial fishing as a result of the decided droji in 

 price. The operations at Baker Lake were even more favorable than 

 last year, and the collection of sockeye salmon eggs, amounting to 

 nearly 12,000.000, was the largest since the establishment of the sta- 

 tion more than 20 years airo; these eggs were taken from 3.645 fish. 



The experiment recently undertaken at the substati(m at Quinault 

 Lake for the purpose of (U-monstrating the relative efficiency of 

 artificial ])ropagation and natural reproduction has been temporarily 

 postponed, as it was found that many of the fish passing through the 

 counting weir were being gillcd in the 4-inch mesh webbing used in 

 its construction. Approximately 12,000 fish had been counted before 

 the necessitv for discontinuing the work became apparent. 



At the "i es Bay (Alaska) hatchery no efifx collections whatever 

 were attempted during the fiscal year, and fish-cultural work was 

 rcstj'iftefl to the incubation of a limited numl)er of eggs transferred 

 from otlu'r points. This coui'sc; was necessitated by the condition of 

 bnildings, water-supi)ly system, and ef|uipment. In order to prevent 

 complete deterioration of valuable property, extensive repairs and 

 improvements were required. No special appropriation for this 

 70454— 21 3 



