vineyards during one season and drift under them for gold at another season."

Many times the value of the gold output is the petroleum product. The amount and valuation thereof for 1920 are estimated to be 105,000,000 barrels, valued at $194,000,000. This is not only larger than the output of any other state but constitutes 23.8 per cent of the total production of the United States. The oil product compensates California for her deficiency in coal, of which the supply is small in amount and of poor quality. Aside from general uses of the oil for heating, power in manufacturing, transportation and generation of electricity-all of which are of great value in State development-the contribution of the oil wells to agriculture is great and varied. California oil has chiefly an asphaltum base which distinguishes it from the oils of the older states. This has proved of large use in highway improvement both as a cover for concrete road-beds and for direct application to dirt roads; other petroleum products supply the motive power for irrigation and drainage pumping; for the engines of tractors and for farm motors generally, while the ample home supply of gasoline from oil wells is one of the factors which has enabled California to take the lead in the ownership of automobiles which are run with cheap lubricating oils also from petroleum. Thus the petroleum product furnishes what is needed to move with and move upon, most cheaply and efficiently.

Many important facts and influences could be cited in connection with other mineral products of

California, but they are not of primary agricultural significance. It is said that upwards of seventy metals and mineral substances are known to exist in California of which more than fifty are commercially produced. It is, however, agriculturally notable that California produces about 30 per cent of the potash now being derived from American

sources.

FISH AND GAME

The formal reports of explorers and the gossipy narratives of visiting mariners, trappers and adventurers furnish ample evidence of the abundance of wild animal life in California before the American occupation. The aborigines had little prowess as hunters and did not seriously dispute possession of the country with the cougars, several kinds of bears and many less noble marauders which preyed on the immense herds of antelope and other grazing wildings which occupied the valleys. The Spanish and Mexican rangers of the early days did not undertake any serious conflict with the "big game" of the country-their cattle and sheep were so abundant and cheap that it seemed better policy to divide with their enemies than to fight them. In fact, this abundance was perhaps a factor of protection to their nearer grazing grounds which the beasts had little temptation to invade. Indeed the rancheros and the herders for the Missions made direct contribution to the support of the lordly carnivora of the country, as the horses, cattle, sheep and hogs which

escaped from their vaqueros were not thought worth pursuing. Instead of reducing the numbers of large, ferocious beasts, they probably multiplied them by filling the regions outlying the ranches with herds of domestic animals gone wild, which were more easily captured than the really wild grazing animals. The result was that at the time of the American occupation both the mountains and valleys of California were teeming with wild life-which was an inspiration to the early naturalists and was full of both sport and sustenance to the mining camps and pioneer farms.

Of course, as American development of the country proceeded, the aggressive flesh-eaters were either destroyed or driven back to haunts in strictly wild regions where bold hunters have now to seek themalthough occasionally, even now, they may advance singly far enough into the borders of farming country to stir up the excitement of a neighborhood hunting party. In the counties which include mountain grazing country marauding wild life is still held in check by standing bounties for trophies of the hunt and the rangers in the national forests pursue systematic warfare for the protection of grazing animals. But on the whole, of the undesirable wild beasts of boldness and capacity there is little left but sport.

Of desirable wild life, mammal, bird and fish, California has been fortunate in conserving most creditable resources. Legislative provision for custodianship of local species and for introduction of supplementary species from other parts of the world,

was begun soon after the organization of the State government and has proceeded toward systematic regulation of sport and industrial hunting and fishing to the present time. For more than half a century there has been at work a very well-informed and energetic Fish and Game Commission which has secured new laws for the protection of species, either by limiting or prohibiting, as conditions might require, and by coöperating with the national authorities in provisions for introduction, propagation and distribution. The result is that such desirable animals as deer are reported to be increasing, although as many as 15,000 male deer are killed each year. Of wild ducks there is also an increasing supply although an annual kill of a million ducks is reported. It is not so notable that wild geese should also be numerous for the annual kill is only one-tenth as many. The abundance of quail is gratifying testimony to the efficacy of a closed breeding season, for this bird is multiplying in nearly every county, although uncounted thousands of quail-shooters go out after them as soon as the season opens and return heavily laden. Of stream and lake trout, owing to the maintenance of about ten hatcheries and the vast numbers planted out each year (estimated to be about twelve million small fry) it is possible that this fish is as abundant now as when the pioneers reported the streams teeming with them.

The commercial fisheries of California are of considerable moment, about 4000 licenses for such business being annually issued. The value of the catch,