FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST IN 1899. 533 
21,314 cases, of $79,176 value. A large portion of the catch went to 
the fresh-fish firms. 
The oyster business, from lack of proper care of the beds, shows a 
steady decrease, only 45,000 sacks having been shipped in 1899, as 
against 78,825 sacks in 1892 and 61,400 sacks in 1895. The sacks con- 
tain about 1 bushels each and weigh about 85 pounds. With a grow- 
ing scarcity of oysters, sacks are somewhat smaller and prices have 
advanced from $1.50 a sack in 1895 to $2 a sack in 1899. The business 
in native oysters is confined to Willapa Bay. Eastern oysters of full 
size, planted here experimentally by the U. S. Fish Commission, 
have been found to grow well, but there are as yet no evidences as 
to their propagation in these waters. It is understood that oysters 
from Eastern seed are now being grown in Willapa Bay, after the 
manner practiced in California, where seed oysters are brought 
annually from the Atlantic coast and laid in favorable localities in San 
Francisco Bay for further growth. 
Wahkiakum County.—The fisheries of this county are practically 
limited to its salmon catch from the Columbia River, which forms its 
boundary on the south. During 1899 four canneries were operated, 
packing 60,868 cases of salmon, of $313,345 value. The capital invested 
in the fisheries of the county amounted to $353,520, the fishermen 
numbered 596, and the shore employees 205. The gross weights 
of fish caught and values to the fishermen were as follows: Salmon, 
3,347,102 pounds, $150,959; shad, 25,000 pounds, $375; smelts, 20,000 
pounds, $100, The shad and smelt were taken from seines used in 
the salmon fishery, which often contain more shad than salmon. 
Shad are not fished for specially and bring so low a price that they 
are sometimes used as fertilizer, but oftener thrown back into the 
river. They are usually first taken about the middle of April, being 
most abundant up to the middle of June. The first sent to the Port- 
land market in 1899 brought 8 cents each, at which price they were 
saved. As their number increased prices dropped to 2 or 3 cents, or 
about one-half cent a pound, and as that barely covered the freight and 
expenses, leaving nothing to the fishermen, the shipments stopped. 
Shad are of large size and fine quality. A few which were canned as 
an experiment retained their fine flavor, and were much improved by 
the entire disappearance of bones from the action of the excessive heat 
in cooking. The canning of shad may yet form an important factor 
in the fisheries of the Columbia River. 
Of the salmon pack of 1,200 cases, 84,000 pounds of silver and dog 
salmon were from Grays Harbor, the remainder of the pack being 
Columbia River fish. 
Cowlitz County.—Oft late years the fisheries of this county have 
decreased in importance. The catch is from the Columbia and Cow- 
litz rivers. The aggregate amount in 1899 was 907,825 pounds, of 
$17,080 value, composed of 350,725 pounds of salmon, 482,000 pounds 
