﻿64 
  ALASKA 
  FISHEBIES 
  AND 
  FUR 
  INDUSTRIES, 
  1913. 
  

  

  The 
  grasses 
  suffered 
  extensively 
  on 
  the 
  southern 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  ; 
  probably 
  three- 
  

   fourths 
  of 
  the 
  crop 
  was 
  destroyed. 
  This 
  is 
  an 
  economic 
  loss 
  to 
  the 
  owners 
  of 
  cattle, 
  

   for 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  unable 
  to 
  harvest 
  sufficient 
  hay 
  to 
  carry 
  their 
  stock 
  through 
  the 
  

   winter. 
  An 
  abundant 
  supply 
  could 
  be 
  had 
  from 
  the 
  northern 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  where 
  

   the 
  grass 
  was 
  only 
  slightly 
  affected; 
  but 
  the 
  people 
  lack 
  the 
  means 
  of 
  transportation 
  

   and, 
  therefore, 
  as 
  available 
  provender, 
  it 
  need 
  be 
  given 
  no 
  consideration. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  plant 
  life 
  were 
  expressed 
  in 
  figures, 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  fair 
  to 
  estimate 
  

   that 
  70 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  flora 
  on 
  the 
  southern 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  had 
  been 
  destroyed 
  and 
  

   that 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  gradual 
  falling 
  away 
  to 
  a 
  loss 
  of 
  20 
  per 
  cent 
  on 
  the 
  northern 
  end. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  amazing 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  volcanic 
  ash 
  upon 
  aquatic 
  plants 
  is 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  

   retarded 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  kelp 
  on 
  the 
  reefs 
  and 
  rocks 
  of 
  the 
  stricken 
  region. 
  Opinions 
  

   differ 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  degree 
  of 
  injury. 
  Many 
  believe 
  that 
  the 
  kelp 
  is 
  dead, 
  and, 
  as 
  confir- 
  

   mation 
  of 
  their 
  judgment, 
  they 
  point 
  to 
  its 
  black 
  and 
  withered 
  condition. 
  But 
  ad- 
  

   mitting 
  that 
  appearances 
  strongly 
  favor 
  this 
  view, 
  it 
  seems, 
  nevertheless, 
  too 
  early 
  to 
  

   give 
  unqualified 
  endorsement 
  thereto. 
  The 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  kelp 
  would 
  mean 
  an 
  

   inestimable 
  loss 
  to 
  the 
  cattle, 
  as 
  it 
  forms 
  one 
  of 
  their 
  staple 
  foods 
  during 
  the 
  winter 
  

   and 
  very 
  materially 
  helps 
  out 
  an 
  inadequate 
  supply 
  of 
  hay. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  mountainous 
  sections, 
  the 
  rains 
  kept 
  the 
  streams 
  and 
  lakes 
  very 
  muddy, 
  

   thus 
  preventing 
  or 
  delaying 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  on 
  the 
  spawning 
  grounds. 
  

   About 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  August 
  so 
  much 
  ash 
  was 
  washed 
  into 
  the 
  streams 
  that 
  several 
  

   hundred 
  spawning 
  salmon 
  perished 
  in 
  exactly 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  as 
  happened 
  at 
  the 
  

   beginning 
  of 
  the 
  eruption. 
  It 
  is 
  an 
  interesting 
  evidence 
  of 
  the 
  objectionable 
  con- 
  

   dition 
  of 
  these 
  waters 
  that 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  would 
  ascend 
  the 
  streams 
  a 
  short 
  dis- 
  

   tance, 
  and 
  then 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  sea, 
  repeating 
  many 
  times 
  these 
  erratic 
  movements. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  ground-nesting 
  birds, 
  the 
  ptarmigans 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  and, 
  perhaps, 
  

   the 
  ones 
  most 
  unlikely 
  to 
  nest 
  in 
  the 
  ashes. 
  Their 
  nests 
  are 
  always 
  carefully 
  concealed 
  

   in 
  the 
  dry 
  grass 
  and 
  weeds 
  of 
  the 
  open 
  country 
  or 
  under 
  the 
  scrub 
  spruce 
  where 
  the 
  

   branches 
  are 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  ground. 
  All 
  such 
  places 
  being 
  covered 
  with 
  ashes, 
  it 
  seems 
  

   miprobable 
  that 
  any 
  nests 
  were 
  built 
  after 
  the 
  eruption, 
  and 
  this 
  doubt 
  is 
  strengthened 
  

   by 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  no 
  young 
  birds 
  were 
  seen 
  during 
  the 
  summer. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  

   the 
  gulls 
  resumed 
  their 
  nesting 
  before 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  June, 
  the 
  ashes 
  presenting 
  no 
  special 
  

   hindrance 
  to 
  them, 
  as 
  they 
  require 
  very 
  little 
  material 
  for 
  nests. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  

   ducks 
  and 
  small 
  migratory 
  birds 
  breeding 
  on 
  the 
  island 
  was 
  considerably 
  less 
  than 
  

   usual. 
  

  

  Mammals 
  in 
  general 
  were 
  able 
  to 
  weather 
  the 
  distressing 
  conditions, 
  though 
  at 
  

   times 
  they 
  may 
  have 
  found 
  it 
  difficult 
  to 
  obtain 
  food. 
  In 
  a 
  way, 
  the 
  land 
  otters 
  are 
  

   the 
  most 
  fortunate 
  of 
  these 
  animals, 
  for 
  they 
  can 
  go 
  to 
  salt 
  water 
  for 
  food 
  when 
  the 
  fish 
  

   are 
  scarce 
  in 
  the 
  lakes 
  and 
  streams. 
  

  

  Probable 
  future 
  effects. 
  — 
  The 
  conditions 
  of 
  to-day 
  do 
  not 
  warrant 
  the 
  assumption 
  that 
  

   the 
  Kodiak 
  group 
  of 
  islands 
  has 
  been 
  permanently 
  injured 
  by 
  this 
  eruption, 
  though 
  a 
  

   few 
  years 
  may 
  be 
  required 
  for 
  nature 
  in 
  her 
  varied 
  forms 
  to 
  work 
  out 
  a 
  complete 
  read- 
  

   justment 
  of 
  these 
  changes. 
  Surely, 
  the 
  soil 
  will 
  be 
  enriched 
  and 
  vegetation 
  will 
  

   renew 
  itself 
  until 
  the 
  islands 
  are 
  more 
  luxuriantly 
  clothed 
  than 
  ever; 
  the 
  wash 
  of 
  

   ashes 
  from 
  the 
  hills 
  will 
  cease 
  and 
  the 
  streams 
  will 
  eventually 
  clear 
  themselves. 
  

   What 
  enriches 
  the 
  soil 
  may 
  also 
  enrich 
  the 
  waters 
  by 
  contributing 
  to 
  conditions 
  that 
  

   will 
  bring 
  about 
  an 
  increased 
  supply 
  of 
  fish 
  food 
  which 
  in 
  turn 
  means 
  an 
  increased 
  

   supply 
  of 
  fish. 
  

  

  Effects 
  of 
  Katmai 
  Eruption 
  Evident 
  in 
  1913. 
  

  

  The 
  question 
  has 
  been 
  raised 
  as 
  to 
  what 
  effect 
  the 
  fine 
  volcanic 
  

   material 
  from 
  the 
  1912 
  eruption 
  may 
  have 
  had 
  upon 
  the 
  spawning 
  

   grounds 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  It 
  was 
  found 
  that 
  in 
  still 
  lake 
  

   waters 
  not 
  in 
  proximity 
  to 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  a 
  stream 
  this 
  material 
  

   settled 
  and 
  formed 
  a 
  very 
  solid 
  though 
  thin 
  layer 
  of 
  soil, 
  but 
  where 
  it 
  

  

  