68 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES, 1911. 



uance of tliis plan of careful inspection is contemplated. As else- 

 where stated, however, the whole question of private hatcheries in 

 Alaska seems most satisfactorily met by their discontinuance as 

 such, to be taken over and operated by the Government through the 

 Bureau of Fisheries. 



GOVERNMENT STATIONS. 



YES LAKE. 



Egg taking at Yes Lake is confined almost solely to the month of 

 September. During the fall of 1910 and again in 1911 the hatchery 

 was filled to its capacity of 72,000,000 red salmon eggs. It is note- 

 worthy that the collection has been larger during the past two sea- 

 sons than during the four prior seasons the station has been operated. 

 This improved condition is considered as an indication of the bene- 

 fits of artificial propagation. A few humpback salmon eggs have 

 also been taken. 



At Yes Lake the egg-hatching period continues from December 

 until about the middle of April. Planting of the earlier fry is begun 

 in February. All fry are deposited in the stream and lake near the 

 hatchery. Last season the loss of eggs was about 5 per cent. Much 

 of tliis was attributed to the extra handlings given the adult fish 

 prior to spawning, handlings wliich could not be avoided owing to 

 the unusually low water. 



With a view to the infusion of new blood into Columbia River 

 waters, two shipments of red salmon eggs were made from the Yes 

 Lake station to Oregon. The first shipment of 1,500,000 was in the 

 fall of 1910, and the second shipment, numbering 2,000,000, was 

 made during the fall of 1911. 



The feeding of red salmon fry on canned herring roe was under- 

 taken in an experimental way but without success. The fish became 

 very thin and emaciated and the loss was quite heavy. As soon, 

 however, as they were fed Dolly Varden trout ground up raw, the 

 young salmon did well, and by the first of September they were 

 about 2 inches long. Before another season it is purposed to con- 

 struct quite a number of additional troughs wherein to feed and rear 

 a large number of salmon until they reach a length of from 1^ to 2 

 inches before being planted. 



The rack across the stream near the station is upwards of 200 feet 

 long. It is erected on a permanent apron embedded in the stream. 

 All pieces are numbered and are so arranged when taken out in the 

 fall that they will be in regular order for use when the rack is put in 

 again the succeeding season. This plan greatly facilitates the opera- 

 tion, and it might well be adopted at other stations where it is not 

 abeadj in vogue. 



