REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 



29 



it Avas estimated that there were enough fish between the racks to have 

 furnished 30,000,000 eggs, all of which were lost so far as hatcher}^ 

 work was concerned, allowing the fish to pass up stream and propagate 

 naturally; and when it is remembered that b}^ artificial hatching 

 approximately eighty-seven per cent of these eggs would have ])een 

 liberated as salmon fry, while vmder natural conditions not more than 

 one per cent would have survived, the value of artificial propagation is 

 better appreciated. 



During the months of April, May, and June, the fishermen on the 

 Sacramento River received as high as 7 cents per pound for their catch. 

 Small stations, like Tehama, ship as much as three tons of fresh salmon 

 in a single day. During the present spring run there was shipped from 

 Chico alone, upward of 80 tons of fresh salmon, which figures were 

 furnished by Wells, Fargo & Co.'s office at that city. Another striking 

 example is afforded by the fact that during the spring and summer of 

 190?), fresh salmon by the carload were shipped from Sacramento City 

 direct to New York City, also to Boston, Chicago, and other Eastern 

 cities, where the Sacramento River salmon has established a market 

 value of its own, selling for from 30 to 40 cents per pound. Tons of 

 salmon are shipped from San Francisco and points along the Sacra 

 mento River to Oregon and Washington, both great salmon-producing 

 States. In the fall of 1903, one steamer carried 45 tons of fresh salmon 

 from San Francisco to Astoria. 



These facts are laid before our people so that they may better appre- 

 ciate the great advantages this State enjoys under the existence of the 

 present salmon law, which has stood the constitutional test in our 

 highest court. With a law producing such splendid results and sus- 

 tained by the Supreme Court, we can see no present reason why it 

 should be altered in the slightest degree, and we earnestly recommend 

 that no change or modification be made. Local objections must of 

 necessity give way to the greater and more important interests of the 

 State at large. The subject must not be considered from a narrow or 

 local standpoint. 



The following table represents the number of cases of Sacramento 

 River salmon packed since 1890, and shows an encouraging increase: 



Year. 



18^X3 

 1891 

 1892 

 1898 



1894 



Cases 



25,065 

 10,353 

 2,281 

 23,336 

 28,463 



Yodi 



Cases. 



Year. 



Cases. 



1895 

 lS9(i 



1897 

 1898 

 1899 



25,185 

 13,387 

 38,543 

 29,731 

 33,227 



1900 

 1901 

 1902 

 1903 



am 



39,304 

 50,0(M 

 48,172 

 64,430 

 54,710 



