240 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Detailed figures from separate camiers have beeu obtained by correspondence, 
•whicb place the pack at 401,400 cases, of which 183,400 cases were prepared at Asto- 
ria, 204,000 at other places in the lower river, and 74,000 cases at the Cascades and The 
Dalles, The proportion of the diftereut species constituting the pack is estimated to 
be about as follows: Chinook, 69 per cent or 318,366 cases; bluebacks, 16 per cent 
or 73,824 cases, and steellieads, 15 per cent or 69,210 cases. 
The foreg’oing hgures apply only to tlie regularpacking season, which terminated 
August 10. When the close- time exiiired ou September 10, somemf the canneries 
resumed operations and continued to- pack until November 10. From information 
received from Mr. M. J. Kinney, it appears that about 70,000 cases, chiefly of silver- 
sides, were prepared in the fall. Mr. Kinney states that it woujd have been an easy 
matter to pack double that quantity had the Ashing been carried ou with suflicient 
energy. 
Statistics of salmon paclc from 1866 to 1894, inclusive . — From 1866, the year in 
which the salmon-cauniug industry ou the Columbia Kiver was established, to 1894, the 
quantity of salmon utilized for canning purx)oses was about 695,400,000 i)ounds, and 
the aggregate iiack.was about 10,633,800 cases, each holding 48 one- pound cans, or the 
equivalent. The value of the pack to the cauners was about $61,760,500. Up to aud 
including 1887 practically the enrire quantity of salmou utilized in canning consisted 
of Chinook salmon. Since that year larger and larger quantities of steelhead, blue- 
back, and other salmou have beeu used and the number of chiuook salmon entering 
into the pack has been reduced in the same proportion. 
The following table shows for each year the gross weight of salmon utilized for 
caimiug, the number of cases packed, the wholesale market value of rhe canned fish, 
aud the average value per case. The growth, decline, and present condition of the 
industry are to be interpreted in the light of the statement in the preceding para- 
graph as to the irtilization of the cheaper grades of salmon. The figures, as they 
stand, indicate a serious decline in the industry since the business reached its height 
in 1883 and 1884. The extent of the decline is made more apparent when the greatly 
augmented quantities of apparatus employed in recent years are taken into consider- 
ation. With the number of fishing appliances employed in 1894, a iiack in that year 
a half larger than that in 1884 would really indicate a serious reduction iu the supply 
of fish. 
Summary of the salmon-canning industry of the Colunibia liiver from its origin to the present time. 
Year. 
Gross -syeight 
of salmou 
utilized. 
Number of 
cases 
packed. 
Value, 
Average 
value 
per case. 
Tear. 
Gross weight 
of salmon 
rrtilized. 
Number of 
cases 
packed. 
Value. 
Average 
val ue 
X>er case. 
Pounds. 
Pounds. 
1866 
260, 000 
4, 000 
$64, 000 
$16. 00 
1882 
35, 184, 500 
541, 300 
$2, 600, 000 
$4. 80 
1867 
1, 170, 000 
18, 000 
288, 000 
16. 00 
1883 
40, 911, 000 
629, 400 
3, 147, 000 
5,00 
1868 
1,820, 000 
28, 000 
392, 000 
14. 00 
1884 
40, 300, 000 
620, 000 
2, 915, 000 
4. 70 
1869 
6, 500, 000 
100, 000 
1,350,000 
13. 50 
1885 
35, 997, 000 
553, 800 
2, 500, 000 
4.51 
1870 
9, 750, 000 
150, 000 
1, 800, 000 
12. 00 
1886 
29, 152, 500 
448, 500 
2, 135, 000 
4. 76 
1871 
13, 000, 000 
200, 000 
2, 100, 000 
10. 50 
1857 
23, 140, 000 
356, 000 
2, 124, 000 
5. 97 
1872 
16, 250, 000 
250, 000 
2, 325, 000 
9.30 
1888 
24, 211,005 
372, 477 
2, 327, 981 
6. 25 
1873 
16, 250, 000 
250, 000 
2, 250. 000 
9.00 
1889 
20, 685, 495 
309, 885 
1, 809, 820 
5. 84 
1874 
22. 750, 000 
350, 000 
2, 6-25, 000 
7. 50 
1890 
28,781,385 
435, 774 
2, 407, 456 
5. 52 
1875 
24, 375, 000 
375, 000 
2, 250, 000 
6. 00 
1891 
26, 450, 635 
398, 953 
2, 240, 964 
5.62 
1876 
29, 250, 000 
450, 000 
2, 475, 000 
5.50 
1892 
32, 185, 995 
487, 338 
2, 679, 069 
5. 50 
1877 
24, 700, 000 
380, 000 
2, 052, 000 
5. 40 
1893 
25, 672, 152 
393, 972 
2, 135, 824 
5.42 
1878 
•29, 900, 000 
31, 200, 000 
34, 450, 000 
35, 750, 000 
460, 000 
480, 000 
530 000 
2. 300, 000 
2, 640, 000 
2, 650, 000 
2, 475, 000 
5.00 
5. 50 
5.00 
4. 50 
1894* 
30, 452, 400 
461, 400 
2, 422, 350 
5.25 
1880 
Total . 
690, 499, 067 
10, 563,799 
61. 480, 464 
1881 
550, 000 
*Xlie figures gireri do not include the fall pack for 1894, amounting to about 70,000 cases. 
