VIII -REPORT OF OPERATIONS AT THE U. S. SALMON-BREED- 

 ING STATION, ON THE M'CLOUD RIVER, CALIFORNIA, DURING 



THE SEASON OF 1884. 



By Livingston Stone. 



During the summer of 1S8,'3 tlie Central Pacific Railroad Company 

 was engaged in building a road from Eeddiug, Cal., northward up the 

 line of the Sacramento River. The heavy blasting involved in the con- 

 struction operations of the railroad company, near the mouth of Pitt 

 River, had the effect of destroying or stopping nearly all the salmon 

 which would have ascended the Pitt River, of which the McCloud River 

 is a tributary. The consequence was that it became impossible to take 

 the usual number of salmon eggs at the McCloud Station. Indeed, it 

 was with great difldculty, and only by persevering efforts under great 

 discouragements, that enough parent fish could be caught to yield the 

 extremely small number of a million salmon eggs. 



Owing to these circumstances, it was thought best to intermit opera- 

 tions at this station for this season. Accordingly, nothing has been 

 done here this year except to leave things in statu quo, and to keep 

 the property belonging to the Commission in safety, the only current 

 expenses being for the salary of the janitor in charge of the property, 

 and for some slight repairs, the whole not exceeding, I believe, $400. 

 No losses nor disasters of any kind have occurred during the year. 



It should be mentioned, however, that the large current- wheel which 

 furni.shes the water supply for the hatching-house was completely 

 wrecked by an accident which happened last year. In re])laciug it, it 

 will probably be necessary to build two new flat-boats to support it, the 

 cost of all of which is estimated at $800. Various plans for raising an 

 adequate water supply to the hatching-house have been suggested, but 

 none of them seem to be practicable, and it will undoubtedly be neces- 

 sary to build a new current- wheel before operations can be satisfactorily 

 renewed at this station. With the exception just mentioned, the station 

 and all its equipments at the time of making this report (October, 1884) 

 are in good condition. 



Chaelestown, N. H., October 30, 1884. 



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