TRANSMISSION OF SALMON EGGS TO AUSTRALIA, ETC. 891 



duction of more than 8,000,000 young salmon into the headwaters of the 

 Sacramento, since the organization of the commission, in addition to the 

 natural increase, has had the effect to keep up the supply, and to reduce 

 the local market price of these iish. It is reported that the " cannery" 

 at Collinsville has purchased all the salmon it could consume during the 

 past season at from 25 to 40 cents each. 



9. Over-fishing, the absence of any close season, and no effort at arti- 

 ficial increase, has at last had an effect on the salmon of the Columbia 

 Eiver, in Oregon, and complaint is made that this river, once thought 

 inexhaustible, has begun to fail in its accustomed supply. This decrease 

 has been so marked during the season, that the "canners" have been 

 compelled to pay from 30 to 50 cents each for salmon. In the absence 

 of legislation, the canning comj^anies on this river have subscribed 

 $20,000, vrhich has been placed under the control of Mr. Livingston 

 Stone, deputy United States Fish Commissioner, to be expended in ar- 

 tificial hatching, and restocking that stream. Fortunately, intelligent 

 legislation in California made iJrovision for continuing the supply of fish 

 in the Sacramento before there was any marked decrease by over-fish- 

 ing. It is not disputed that the salmon were more numerous in the 

 Sacramento before their sj)awning gTOunds on the American, Yuba, 

 Feather, and other rivers had been destroyed by mining. After the fish 

 were destroyed in these tributaries, the suj)ply of the State had to come 

 from the other tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, on which 

 there was no mining, and these latter streams furnished the normal sup- 

 ply. Before these became exhausted, the natural increase was supple- 

 mented by artificial hatching. 



10. In this connection a fact, of much jjractical as well as scientific 

 importance, may be stated as showing the advantages in numbers to 

 be obtained by artificial hatching in comparison with the increase, by 

 natural methods. In 1876, Mr. Myron Green, foreman for Mr. Living- 

 ston Stone, United States deputy fish commissioner, at the McCloud 

 Eiver, having observed in the river a favorite gravel bed where many 

 salmon were depositing their eggs, carefully dug up the gravel and 

 several thousand eggs. He separated the eggs from the gravel, and 

 placed the former, after counting them, in the hatching-boxes. After 

 twenty-four hours, he found large numbers of these eggs turning white, 

 showing that the milt had failed to come in contact with the eggs. After 

 throwing out all the eggs not found to be fecund, there were left 8 per 

 cent, of the whole number gathered, which were found to be fertile. 

 When the eggs and milt are artificially brought in contact out of the 

 water, it would be carelessness or inexiDerience that would prevent 95 

 per cent, of the eggs from being fertilized. 



11. The following tables wiU show the number and weight of salmon 

 transported on the railroads and steamboats from the Sacramento and 

 San Joaquin Elvers to the cities of San Francisco and Stockton, from 

 points on the river below the cities of Sacramento and Stockton, from 



