The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-01-16
BECOMING A FARM
ING STATE
Nevada's Future Hopes Are
Centering in Her AgriCultur-
al Possibilities, Even Now

and it's hopes for the future In the
direction of the agricultural indus
tries more largely than ever before
and the time has at last come when
the agricultural industries of the Sill
yer State are to see the marked de-
velopment that natural conditions and
human opportunities make possible.
says the Orchard and Farm.
Heretofore Nevada" has always
suggested to the outside word the
mines and wonderful mountain
ranges. That 1t had extensive stock
ranges many knew In vague way.
but only in the minds of a wise few
has the soil been taken into parti-
cular account in conceptions of the
future. The appelation "Sagebrusn
State" has had much force in dissent
mating the idea of general sterility.
Now the federal government has be-
gun in Nevada the execution of one
of Its earliest great Irrigation pro-
jects, and the striking enterprise COM
mands the attention of the country TO
the vast agricultural possibilities of
an arid region of large extent, floor
ed with rich soils and possessing a
favorable climate. and which needs
but water to yield ABUNDANT harves.s.
Then, in the southern portion of the
state, a transconIinental railroad is
being built which Will open up a rich
and heretofore inaccessible region
and which possesses arid valleys that
have the SOILS and climate potent with
inal oil nf fua No
parts of the Great Southwest. when
water is supplied.
Little that Is necessary to the up
building of a great state was omitted
when Nevada was created. The raw
materials were apundantiy bestowed.
and only the lack of human endeavor
has prevented thus rich and extensive
region from taking a. hign place
among her sisters. Far fIom beng an
asn-neap, with streaks of siivel
through IL, as SO many nave been ied
to beneve, the terrtory within her
borders has some OF the richest Soil
upon the glope, and wnere 1t can lie
reached by an adequate water supply
the crops are never-tailing, the quar-
ity the pnest. and the yield far u eat
er tnan In tne rainy states.
Like the Island OF sicily. which has
raised wheat Tor 1000 yeas with al
most no oiminution in the yield. her
soil is largely volcanic, and he.
strength has not been disslpated by
the showers of ages, but lies ripenlns
In the sun waiting tor the piow wnicn
is to tickle its surface and make II
laugh a harvest.
Nevada is the fourth in extent OF
the Union, only Texas, California ana
Montana being larger. She has near
ly 7l,Uvo,0UO acres, of which perhaps
seventy-nve per cent would be tiilabie
Ii water could be provided.
The fact is gradually dawning upon
us that the desert is ricn. We recall
the TACT that the ancient civilizations
occupied the deserts OF the old world
Egypt, Asia Minor, syria, the classic
lands of the Carthaglnians and the
Moors. "The giones OF antiquity
spIang from the heart of the desert,
history says, and Utah and Coo. ado
are examples in our day OF arid lands
made the homes of prosperous thous-
ands. Under volcanic ash Nevada
miners are hnding ledges of gold. ana
under the sage-Drusn or the gray
waste of centuries farmers are dis
covering a wealth of soil. and rich
harvests will presently transform the
aspect of the land. Arid countries are
always iich countries when irrigated,
and the reason is simple: The potash,
lime, magnesia and sulphuric aciu
have not been washed out OF the sol.
1t Is all there to make the fields gay
with harvest.
Few have thought Of the Silver
State as land for the farmer, bu1
1t is. The new Nevada viii base LIS
prosperity upon Its agriculture. MIN"
ers come and go. but the land abides
and to the soil we must all so foi
our supplies of daily bread. The per-
manent prosperity of state Is buii'
upon It's agriculture, and tpe quanuty
of it's products must be taken as an
index of its future development. Figs
cotton, grapes. tobacco. and oranges
thrive in the south. and in the coloeI
northern climate are produced as nne
fruit and vegetables as can be foune
anywhere in the world. Nevada sem
the first ripe figs to the competition
with the whole world. Its hay Is II
demand all over the Union for fnF
stock and its wheat. unexcelled II
quality. has a record or seventy-tv'
bushels to the acre at Lovelock.
The home market for these variou.
products Is not nearly supplied ane
high prices rule throughout the stat'
Stock raising has been so profitabi'
that it mas crowded out other forms
of farming, but with the immensel,
increased demand. the fertile tracts
under irrigation will be utilized t,
raise food for the human inhabitanti