Nature had provided for all these ene mies by the great fecundity of the female salmon, but when to them was added the catching by human beings. year after year, of tens of thousands of mature salmon before they had spawned, she was unable to cope with the situation, and a few years ago it seemed certain that before long the salmon would become as nearly extinct as the buffalo. That danger has, fortunately, been removed by restrictions on the catch and artificial hatchings of great quantities of the eggs to guard against their destruction by predatory fishes and birds (see article on FISH CULTURE). Another important and very interesting government work has been the construction of "Fish Ladders" to assist the fish in climbing the falls or dams which obstruct their up-river journey. A Fish Ladder is a series of very broad steps built up the side of a fall or dam. The salmon travel up them at their ease, as the height of each step is only a few inches, and the protection of the step ahead slacks the rapidity of the current and gives them many rests in the ascent. Before these ladders were constructed, the fish were compelled to climb the falls at one dash, and thousands upon thousands of them were thrown back killed or maimed.
The fish, as caught, are with the least possible loss of time carried to the can neries in steamers, boats, etc., and imme diately started through the various pro cesses. Nearly all the work is performed by machinery. First comes a preliminary external washing, trimming and dressing, then they go to cutting machines where adjustable revolving circular knives cut them into pieces of any desired size for "tall," "flat" and "half-flat" cans, etc. Flat and oval cans of pound and half-pound size are flue d by hand, tall cans by machinery. Then follow a general inspection, weighing, topping, testing, cooking and sterilizing, etc.
A "case" contains 48 one-pound or 96 half pound cans.
The principal recognized varieties of Ameri can canned salmon are the five grades following —the first being the choicest and the fifth the lowest in quality. The "scientific" name of each grade is given, because the popular titles vary in different localities. The "Sockeye" salmon of
Puget Sound, for example, corresponds very closely to the "Red" salmon of Alaska, and the "Tyee" or "Red Spring" of Puget Sound, to the "Chinook" or "Royal Chinook" of the Columbia River and the "King" of Alaska.
(1) Oncorhynchus nerka: known as the sockeye or sockey salmon (British Colum bia and Puget Sound), blue-back salmon (Columbia River), red salmon or redfish (Alaska) and nerka salmon—fish ranging from five to eleven pounds. The flesh should be blood-red in color and closely knitted, and the oil heavy and red.
(2) Oncorhynchus tschawytscha: known as the chinook salmon (Columbia River and outside rivers), king salmon (Alaska), quinnat salmon (outside rivers), tyee salmon (Puget Sound) and spring salmon (British Columbia) —very large fish, from thirty pounds up. The flesh should be deep pink in color—a cross between red and pink, in large flakes and with rich oil.
(3) Oncorhynchus kitsutch: known as the coho or cohoe salmon (Alaska, British Columbia and Puget Sound), silver salmon or silver-sides (Columbia River and outside rivers) and Me dium Red (Alaska)—fish averaging a little larger than Class 1. The flesh is firm and vary ing in color from pale to deep pink, with oil fairly plentiful but generally of little color.
(4) Oncorhynchus gorbuscha: known as the humpback salmon (British Columbia and Puget Sound), pink salmon (Alaska) and gorbuscha salmon—very small, averaging about four pounds. The flesh is of sweet flavor, but soft and of pale pink color.
(5) Oncorhynchus keta: known as the calico salmon, keta salmon, dog salmon, and chum salmon—averaging about eleven pounds. The flesh is white and the liquid contains very little oil.
The fifth grade is the cheapest generally packed. Although it does not possess the fine appearance or richness of the higher varieties, it is frequently of very fair flavor. Caution must, however, be exercised in buying as, on account of its low price, some packers are careless in putting it up.
The greater part of the Alaska pack is of the "Red Salmon"; of British Columbia and Puget Sound, the "Sockeye," and of the Columbia River, the "Chinook." There are several other varieties of salmon—among them the Salino-gairdneri (or steelhead, hardhead, winter-salmon, salmon-trout or square-tailed trout), and two landlocked species in some New England and Canadian lakes, which are consumed as fresh fish but they are seldom, if ever, canned.