6 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



On the Rogue River the Commission operated a hatchery constructed 

 by Mr. R. D. Hume and collected over 4,000,000 quinnat-salmon eggs, 

 1,800,000 of which were transferred to Mr. Hume's hatchery at Wed- 

 derburn, Oreg., where they were hatched. The fry were there kept 

 in ponds and troughs until they had reached a length of 3 to 5 inches, 

 and were fed during this time on canned salmon prepared from the 

 scraps and waste portions of the fish. The success with this material 

 was so encouraging that, so far as practicable, an attempt will be 

 made to rear all salmon fry to the yearling stage before liberating 

 them. Heretofore the question of a suitable food, which is not too 

 expensive, has been one of the most important factors for considera- 

 tion in rearing large numbers of fish at stations remote from railroad 

 facilities, and the use of the canned salmon referred to will materially 

 simplify the problem. 



Steelhead-trout eggs were collected on Crj^stal Creek, a tributary 

 of the Rogue River, as the number taken the previous year on the 

 Willamette River did not warrant a continuation of the work at that 

 point. The eggs were all sent to eastern stations to be hatched, in 

 order to maintain the successful plants already made in the Great 

 Lakes and elsewhere. The steelhead appears to thrive in the streams 

 of Montana, and it maj^ be noted that over 50,000 eggs of this species 

 were taken by the superintendent of the Bozeman station from fish 

 liberated two years ago in Bridger Creek, in that State. 



At the new station on Baker Lake, Washington, the propagation 

 of the sockeye or blueback salmon, regarded as perhaps the most 

 important of the salmons in the Puget Sound region, from a commer- 

 cial standpoint, was begun and over 10,600,000 fry were hatched and 

 planted in the waters of Baker Lake and Skagit River. Located as 

 this station is, in the center of a forest reserve, and with the lake 

 and surrounding territory set aside for fish-cultural purposes, it is 

 believed that it will be an important factor in preserving an extensive 

 spawning-ground of this valuable fish. 



The passage by the legislature of Michigan of an act allowing the 

 U. S. Fish Commission to catch white-fish and lake trout for fish- 

 cultural purposes during the close season, November 1 to December 

 15, permitted the propagation gf these species on a much larger scale 

 than usual, and as the State failed to provide funds for carrying on 

 its work with the commercial fishes of the Great Lakes, this Com- 

 mission was enabled to lease the Michigan white-fish hatcheries at 

 Detroit and Sault Ste. Marie. 



The collection of lake-trout eggs was undertaken on the most impor- 

 tant spawning-grounds in Lake Michigan and continued until Novem- 

 ber 10, during which time over 15,000,000 were collected, at an almost 

 nominal expense. As only about 10 per cent were taken prior to 

 November 1, it will be seen that this work would have bee» almost 

 a failure had the old law been in force. On Lake Superior, where 



