206 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



Various methods of troatin.i; the eg^^ in the pan after impregnation has taken place 

 ha (.been tried. Some operators leave the e,i,-s in the pans as first taken with the 

 milt for two or three minutes and then add water, after which they are left to stand 

 in the pan until they separate, when they are washed clean, taken to the hatchiS^ 

 house, and placed m the troughs. Others pour the contents of the seveml pans- 

 eggs, milt, and all-mto a large can after the eggs l,ecome impregnated, IndwhenThe 

 eggs separate the contents of the can are poured into the hatching tr^S t ust n^ 

 to the current in the troughs to wash the milt from the eggs. At Baird wato is poured 

 on the eggs a few mornents after they become impregnated, after which they Se left 

 perfectly quiet until they separate, which, in water of the temperature of the mSou] 

 River m September, 52° to 53^ takes about an hour. The pans in the mean win i 

 UtertV" ' '''''"^ 1^'%i ^^'^ river water to keep them LTbecomng too warm' 

 After the eggs separate they are carefully washed and are carried in buckets to the 

 hatehmg house, where they are measured and placed in the hatehing trays 



Mr Bower" has the following to say as to the loss by concussion 

 and tne proper method of preventing same: 



v.-iS''J]fi'I''"* ^^l" the absorptive period in salmon eggs is an adhesive stage varvin- 

 ^ith the temperature from one to two hours, when the eggs are exceedingly senSe" 

 This IS the so-called period of water hardening. Under no circumstancfs should the 

 eggs be handled during this stage, nor should thev be subjected to the slightest con 

 cussion. Repeated tests have demonstrated conclusively that even a foW the 

 buckets containing the eggs to stand on the same platform where spawning oStions 

 are being earned on results in considerable loss P^vvmug operations 



To guard against this, the buckets should either stand on the bottom of the stream 

 or else on a platform in every way independent of and ha^dng absolutely no conne™ 

 tion with the main platform. To some this mav seem like a small andTrrelevant 

 consideration, but strict observance is certain to reduce the loss by at least 2 o 3 pe 

 cent. During the process of water hardening the buckets should be partly submerged 

 to properly regulate the temperature. "^ euumergea 



r.\llT ""f ff*'''" ^^.f ^'"^ observed not to move the eggs until water hardening is com- 

 plete. After a ittle experience the operator can readily tell, upon carefully inseSn- 

 the hand and mding the eggs free and hard and no longed soft and velvety even 

 fea?5 loss. "^ '^' ^^'^''' '^'^' '^'^ "^^^ ^' '"^^•^d *« '^'^ hateheJy Without 



HATCHING APPARATUS AND METHODS.^ 



The hatching apparatus generally employed on this coast is prettv 

 much ot the same pattern and is described as follows:'^ 



The hatching apparatus generally employed on the Pacific coast in salmon propaga- 

 tion consists a combination of troughs and baskets. The troughs in common use fre 

 the so-called "Williamson troughs," which are Hi feet long, 12 or IG inches ^vide and 

 ^ inches deep. The troughs are arranged in pairs, and usually two or three pairs 

 are placed end to end on different levels. The fall of water in each trough fs 1 A 

 inches. The troughs are divided by double partitions of wood or metal into com 

 partmentB just enough longer than the baskets to enable the latter to be raised and 

 owered and to be tilted slightly. The essential feature of these troughs L thatat 

 the ower end of each compartment a partition, extending entirely across the trough 

 reaches from the bottom alm<,st to the top, and another similar partition at the upper 

 end of the compartment re:ic;hes from the top almost to the bottom of the troSgh 

 each set of partitions being about an inch apart. The water is consequently forced 

 to flow under the upper partition and over the lower partition, and to do this it rnust 

 necessarily ascend through the tray of eggs. The troughs are provided with cmvas 

 covers stretehed upon light frames and made sunlight proof W saturation "^^ 

 asphaltum varnish and their interiors are thickly coated xdth asphaltum 



1 he egg receptacles are wiw, trays or baskets about 12 inches wide, 24 inches lone 

 H^l'^'''''?i''°?"^ ,^''•^''■"J?':^'"^"'''^ ^^ *'^o ^*^«^'« the water, which is 5 or 6 inches 

 nf ^fl^.n ' *'"''"^''' '", ''^'"'■'' ^^'^'^ ^'^ P'^^^^- I"to each of these baskets 2 gallons 

 of salmon eggs, equivalent to about 30,000 , are poured at a time. The eggs suffer no 



u'w^^^^''"""*^ '" vV'^^'^?,' ^y W^'"^ T- Bower. In Alaska Fisheries and Fur Industrios in IQII h,r 

 B. W Evermami. U. S. Bureau of Fisheries Document No. 766, pp 81 82 \^4shSn 1912 ' ^ 



are 4ed"'"'' "' ''"' ^'"'''" ''^'''""'' ^'^'^^ '^'^' b'^'^^'^' «°"^" ''°'d^K a^mlny ^^Tc'd s'almon eggs 

 r^:^e^!S^tl%f.:f/T"'y<^^^^^^^^ '' ^'^ ^- '• Conimi,ssion of Fish and Fisheries, 



