GROWTH AND MATURITY OF SALMON IN THE OCEAN 
71 
low for the few years just preceding 1914, but in that year the run suddenly rose to 
normal again and was maintained at this higher level for a number of years. This 
erroneous opinion is the result of a common practice which considers only the canned 
product in discussing the trend of the productivity of the Columbia Kiver. The 
figures for the canned pack alone support this contention but do not take into con- 
sideration the mild-curing industry, the development of which has had a marked 
effect on the production of canned salmon. Much of the mild-cured salmon was 
marketed in Europe and this market was suddenly closed by the opening of the 
600 
600 
400 
SCO 
zoo 
"to 
«; 
\ 
\\ 
717' 
t 
\^ 
/ 
f 
t 
v 
% 
y — 
f 
IB90 
/S>00 
/90S 
/9/0 
I9J5 
/920 
/895 
Year 
Fig. 26.— Pack of chinook salmon on the Columbia River, 1890 to 1923, inclusive. The mild- 
cured pack has been reduced to a basis of cases, one tierce being considered equal to 2.5 cases. 
Data from Cobb (1921) and Pacific Fisherman Year Book, 1924. Dotted line shows the mild- 
cure pack; broken line, the canned pack; and solid line, the total 
World War in August, 1914. If this pack is calculated on the basis of cases of canned 
salmon and is added to the canned pack, the totals do not show a marked depression 
preceding 1914 nor a sudden rise in that year. There are fluctuations, of course, 
but there is nothing to show that they are systematic or other than "chance" vari- 
ations. 
This is apparent from Figure 26, which shows the number of cases of chinook 
salmon packed on the Columbia River from 1890 to 1923, both inclusive. The 
pack of mild-cured salmon is also shown, reduced to a basis of cases, and the total 
pack when these last data are added to the pack of canned salmon. The reduction 
of mUd-cured salmon to a basis of cases has been made by considering that one 
