72 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES, 1911. 



Fortmann hatchery is clear and as there is a fall of 8 inches between 

 each two troughs ifor aeration, the eggs are undoubtedly as good at 

 the foot of each long series as at the head, and much less water is 

 required by this arrangement. There are 104 troughs in the old 

 wing and 150 in the new, which at 7 baskets to the trough gives a 

 total of 1,778 baskets. Each basket holds upward of 60,000 eggs, 

 thus making the ca])acity easily 110,000,000 red-salmon eggs. 



The eggs are taken by means of hand pressure, but this ])ressure is 

 gi-eatly modified, as one of the operator's fingers is inserted in the 

 vent and tears it open for an inch or so. While practically all pres- 

 sure is thus removed from the eggs, taking by the method of incision 

 would insure further improvement both in quality and quantity. 

 Unless an incision is made it is next to impossible to secure all the 

 eggs, as a number that are fully developed will remain in the folds of 

 the organs unless shaken out, which can be accomplished only by 

 actually taking liold of the parts. 



The number of eggs is determined by actual measurement in buck- 

 ets of carefully determined capacity. Salt has not been used to 

 assist in removing dead eggs. Were it used the crew for picking eggs 

 could be reduced materially. Two nursery ponds each about one-half 

 acre in extent receive the young salmon as they come from the hatch- 

 ery. Additional nursery ponds have been laid out, also a plankton 

 pond on which construction has been commenced. In the latter it 

 is proposed to develop a growth of plankton to serve as food for the 

 young salmon. 



From August 27 to November 6, 1910, a collection of 34,920,000 

 red-salmon eggs was made. In 1911 fry were liberated therefrom to 

 the extent of 30,245,000 or with a loss of 13.4 per cent, of which 10.64 

 per cent was on the eggs. All fry were liberated from the nursery 

 ponds into the Naha Stream system. 



During the period from August 26 to October 22, 1911, the splendid 

 take of 107,520,000 eggs was made. This is the largest collection 

 of salmon eggs ever taken at a single station. The nearest approach 

 was the w^llection of 105,450,000 made in 1906, also at the Fortmann 

 hatchery. The remarkably heavy runs in 1906 and again in 1911 

 afiord further grounds for the belief in the 5-year rather than the 

 commonly accepted 4-_yGar cycle of the salmon's return. Additir.nal 

 evidence may be found in the recurrence of the two liglitest takes of 

 22,203,000 in 1903 and 24,465,000 in 1908. The number of males 

 handled this season was 40,425 and the number of fem.alcs 44,266, 

 giving an average of 2,429 eggs per female. This average is reported 

 as rather low, quite a number of the females being partially spent 

 before being stripped. The average for 1908 was 2,544, for 1909 it 

 was 2,642, and in 1910 it reached 2,746. These averages seem rather 

 low upon comparison with actual counts made this season of the eggs 



