REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 149 
to cperate, putting up canned, mild-cured, and frozen salmon. The 
species utilized in the cold-storage plants were chiefly red salmon, 
cohces, dog salmon, and a few steelheads. 
Tae ruling which prohibited the taking of salmon in southeast Alaska 
prior to July 1 has now been set aside, and it is possible that this will 
encourage the erection of cold-storage plants. There are, however, 
only a few localities in this region where king salmon may be secured 
in considerable numbers, and as this fish is mostly used by cold-storage 
plants for mild-curing purposes, the other species not being suitable, 
there is room for only a limited number of establishments of this kind. 
The demand for frozen salmon is increasing, however, not only in 
European markets but throughout the United States, and should the 
time come when it is more profitable to freeze than to can cohoes and 
dog salmon, many of the canneries now idie and some of those in 
operation will no doubt be converted into cold-storage piants. 
METHODS OF CANNING SALMON. 
An interesting account of the packing of salmon on the Columbia 
River is given by Mr. W. A. Wilcox in the Fish Commission Report 
for 1896, and the subject is also briefly treated by Capt. Jefferson F. 
Moser in his report on the Alaska salmon industries. Since that time, 
however, important changes have taken place, and while the method 
is essentially the same on all parts of the Pacific coast, there are a few 
points connected with the salmon industry of Alaska which may be 
mentioned. 
Improvements in the nature of machinery introduced in the canner- 
ies of Alaska in the last few years have made it possible to pack nearly 
double the former output with little if any increase in the number of 
men employed. Each year has brought forth some new labor-saving 
device, and nearly every branch of the work is now performed with 
the aid of machinery, which in many instances gives more eflicient 
service than work by hand. 
Probably in no year since machinery has been extensively used in 
salmon canneries have there been more labor-saving machines employed 
than in 1903. In that season four different patterns of fish cleaners 
were tested, all giving satisfaction. Among other inventions, several 
forms of automatic weighing machines were introduced, and several 
styles of soldering machines were used, taking the place of the chain 
machine so common a few years ago. There are several kinds of 
machines for washing cans, also several styles of topping machines. 
One of the latest inventions is a machine called a ‘‘stopper,” for sol- 
dering the ventholes in the cans previous to making the test for hot 
leaks. Filling machines apparently reached a certain perfection some 
four years ago, since which time few improvements have been added, 
