MERCED.

Area: 1,995 square miles.

Population: 15,148 (1910 census).

Location: About the geographical center of the state.

Merced County as a whole lies in the San Joaquin Valley, and it figures as one of the lesser mineral-producing counties of the state. The 1915 mineral output was valued at $94,032. Gold, platinum and silver, obtained by dredging, are among the important items. Copper and crushed rock have also been commercially produced. Undeveloped deposits of antimony, quicksilver, and limestone, have been noted in this county, in addition to the foregoing.

In forty-fourth place, commercial production during 1915 was as follows:

Area: 3,823 square miles.

Population: 6,191 (1910 census).

Location: The extreme northeast corner of the state.

Modoc County, like Lassen, has only recently had the benefit of communication with the outside world by rail. Among its known mineral resources are: Clay, coal, gold, iron, quicksilver, salt, and silver. In fifty-second place, commercial production for 1915 was as follows:

MONO.

Area: 3,030 square miles.

Population: 2,843 (1910 census).

Location: Is bordered by the state of Nevada on the east and is

about in the central portion of the state measured on a north and south line.

Gold mining has been carried on in portions of Mono County for many years, although taken as a whole it lies in a rather inaccessible country and has been but superficially explored. It is in the continuation of the highly mineralized belt which was noted in Inyo County and contains among other mineral resources barytes, bismuth, clay, copper, gold, gypsum, iron, lead, limestone, pumice, salt, silver, and travertine.

In forty-third place, commercial production for 1915 was as follows:

Location: West central portion of state, bordering on Pacific Ocean. Monterey County produced seven mineral substances during the year 1915, having a total value of $84,986, as compared with the 1914 output worth $113,831. Its mineral resources include brick, clay, copper, coal, feldspar, fuller's earth, gold, silver, gypsum, infusorial earth, limestone, mineral water, petroleum, quicksilver, glass-sand, sandstone, silver, and miscellaneous stone.

In forty-fifth place, commercial production for 1915 was as follows:

Area: 783 square miles.

NAPA.

Population: 19,800 (1910 census).

Location: Directly north of San Francisco Bay-one of the "bay counties."

Napa, because of its production of structural and industrial materials. and quicksilver, stands twenty-second on the list of mineral-producing counties in California. Its mineral resources include asbestos, barytes, copper, cement, gypsum, magnesite, mineral water, quicksilver, sandstone, soapstone, and miscellaneous stone.

Commercial production for 1915 was as follows:

Location: North of Lake Tahoe, on the eastern border of the state. Nevada, one of the mountain counties of California, though it led all others in its gold output for 1914, was dropped to second place in 1915 by the wonderful spurt of Amador County. Nevada County stands eighth on the list in regard to the value of its total mineral output, with a figure of $3,492,946, as compared with the 1914 production worth $3,329,179.

While this county actually produces little else in the mineral line aside from gold and silver, its resources cover a wide scope, including antimony, asbestos, barytes, bismuth, chromite,. clay, copper, gems, iron, lead, mineral paint, pyrite, soapstone, and tungsten.

Commercial production for 1915 was as follows:

ORANGE.

Area: 795 square miles.

Population: 34,436 (1910 census).

Location: Southwestern portion of state, bordering Pacific Ocean. Orange County is one of the many in California which on casual inspection appears to be anything but a mineral-producing section. It stands, however, as the fourth county in the state in regard to the total value of mineral output, its highly productive oil fields making such a condition possible.

This county shows a loss in 1915, with a total value of mineral products of $6,617,112, from the 1914 output, worth $8,831,763.

Aside from the substances actually produced and noted in the table below, coal, gypsum, iron, infusorial earth, sandstone, and tourmaline have been found in Orange County.

Commercial production for 1915 was as follows:

Location: Eastern border of state directly west of Lake Tahoe. While standing only twentieth on the list of mineral-producing counties, Placer contains a wide variety of mineral substances which have never been commercially exploited. Its leading products are gold, granite, copper, and clay. Other mineral resources, many of them undeveloped, are: Asbestos, brick, chromite, coal, gems, iron, lead, limestone, magnesite, manganese, marble, quartz crystals, glass-sand, silver, soapstone, and miscellaneous stone.

Population: 5,259 (1910 census).

Location: Northeastern border of state, south of Lassen.

A considerable portion of the area of Plumas County lies in the high mountains, and deposits of the metals, especially gold and copper, are found there. Lack of transportation and other facilities have retarded its growth, but its future is decidedly promising. Mineral production for 1915 was valued at $745,515, as compared with the 1914 output, worth $164,809, the increase being largely due to copper.

Among its mineral resources are: Chromite, copper, gold, granite, iron, lead, limestone, manganese, platinum minerals, silver, tungsten, and zinc.

In twenty-fourth place, commercial production for 1915 was as follows: