CHICO, a city of Butte county (Calif.), U.S.A., 96m. N. of Sacramento, on the Southern Pacific railway. The population in 1930 was 7,961. Almonds, prunes and other fruits, alfalfa, rice and other small grains are produced in the region. The city has flour and rice mills, a dried fruit packing-house, and a creamery, and manufactures numerous articles, including electric railroad cars, packing cases, sash, doors, concrete pipe, beet-sugar,. matches, brooms, soap and sheet metal. A State teachers' college and a Federal plant-introduction station are situated there. In Bidwell park is the Hooker oak, which has a diameter of 9f t. and a spread of I5oft. Lassen peak (1o,465ft.), the only active vol cano in the country, which had 220 eruptions between May 1914 and Jan. 1916, is 65m. N.E., in a national park of 124sq.m. Gold and silver are mined in the county, especially around Oroville, the county seat.