46 BULLETIN 61, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
B. K. Brockington submitted several brines to the Cooperative Laboratory from this 
locality, and the results upon these closely corroborate the samples taken by Free 
and Jones. 
It should be noted also that borate compounds are found in Death Valley; just 
north of Bennett's Wells is the Eagle Borax Works, now abandoned. Surface* crusts 
were gathered at this place and refined. Xorth of Furnace Creek Ranch is an old 
borax mill. The playa in the vicinity was the source of the borate minerals. This 
deposit is practically at the mouth of Furnace Creek. The well-known deposits of 
colemanite in Furnace Creek Canyon were undoubtedly the source from which the 
marsh borax in the valley came. 
The borax deposits in Death Valley. are no longer worked. Xo salt has been pro- 
duced on account of difficulty of access and climatic conditions. The potassium 
content of the brine is probably too low to warrant attempts at separation. Until 
deeper borings are made in the smooth salt area and the composition of the brines at 
depth determined. Death Valley must still be looked upon as a possible source of potas- 
sium salts. It is. however, a matter of reasonable doubt whether a greater content of 
potassium will be found at depth. Death Valley is of interest in that it indicates a 
transition stage in the formation of a saline deposit at depth. It would not take a very 
great increase in rainfall to bring down debris sufficient to cover and seal the present 
salt deposit. 
Since the foregoing was written the results of borings and analyses upon the brines 
obtained therefrom by the United States Geological Survey became available and are 
given below. 
Log of United States Geological Survey boring No. 3, Death Valley, Cal. 
Salt (1§ inches thick on surface). Feet. 
Mud, light brown, containing coarse salt crystals 1. 5 
Salt laver 2 inches thick with flow of brine at bottom. 
Mud, soft brown 29. 
(Small flow of warm water at depth of 30 feet.) 
Mud, yielding seepage of water 2. 5 
Clay or mud and crystals of salt 1. 5 
Salt 5 
Mud, black, and crvstals of salt 1. 5 
Salt 5 
Mud, black, and crystals of salt 15. 
(Water all shut off and au°:er cut without seepage.) 
Salt 3 
Clay, black, with occasional thin salt layers 3. 7 
Salt, crystalline, hard, containing layers of black clay mixed with salt crystals 
1 to 4 inches in thickness at intervals of about 2 feet 8. 5 
Mud 5 
Salt, crvstalline, apparentlv solid 13. 
Mud.... '..... . J 2.2 
Salt, crvstalline 3. 8 
Clay, black 1.0 
Salt, crystalline. 2. 
Clay, black, containing salt crystals 10. 5 
(Xo water encountered in the lower part of the well.) 
Total 96. 
