56 RURAL CALIFORNIA 



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 commer- 

 cially 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 adven- 

 turers 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 wild- 

 ings 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 contribu- 

 tion to the support of the lordly carnivora of the 

 country, as the horses, cattle, sheep and hogs which 



