The Record. (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1902-1904, 1904-01-22
BECOMING A
FARMING
STATE:
Nevada's Future Hopes are Cen.
tering in Her Agricultural Pos.
sibiIities, Even Now.

Nevada Is now turning its attention
and It's hopes for the future IN the
direction of the agricultural industries
more largely than ever before and the
time has at last come when the agri-
cultural industries of the Silver State
are to zee the marked development
that natural conditions and human
opportunities make possible, says the
Orchard and Farm.
Heretofore Nevada has always sug-
gested to the outside world the mines
and wonderful mountain ranges. That
1t had extensive stock ranges, many
knew In vague way, but only in the
minds ola wise few has the soil been
taken iato particular account In con
ceptlons Of the future, The appela-
ton "Sagebrush 5taten hss had much
force In disseminating the idea of gen
eral sterillty.
Now the federal government haa be-
gun In Nevada the execution OF one of
its earliest great irrigation projects,
and the striking enterprise commands
the attention of the country TO the
vast agricultural possibilities of an arid
region of large extent, foored with
rich soils and possessing 3 favorable
climate, and which needs but water to
yield abundant harvests. Then, in the
southern portion of the state, trans
continental railroad ls being built
which will open up rich aud hereto
fore inaccessible region and which
possesses arid valleys that have The
soils and climate potent with the semi
tropical glories of the best parts OF the
Great Southwest, when water Is sup
piled.
Little that is necessary TO the up
building OF great state was omitted
when Nevada was created. The raw
materials were abundantly bestowed,
and only the lack of human endeavor
has prevented this rich and extensive
region from taking high place among
her sisters. Far from being an ash.
heap, with streaks of silver through 1t,
as SO many have been led to believe,
the territory within her borders has
some of the richest soil upon the globe,
and where it can be reached by an
adequate water supply the crops are
never-falling the quality the finest,
and the yield far greater than In the
rainy states.
Like the Island of Sicily, which has
raised wheat for 1000 years with al
most no elimination in the yield, her
soil is largely volcanic, and the
strength has not been dissipated by the
showers of ages, but lies ripening in ths
sun waiting for the plow which is To
tickle Its surface and make II laugh
a harvest.
Nevada Ia the fourth Ia extent of the
Union, only Texas, California aud
Montana being larger. She has nearly
100000 acres, Of which perhaps
seventy-hve per cent could be provided.
The fact is gradually drawing upon
US that the desert is rich. We recall
the fact that the ancient civilizations
occupied the deserts of the old world
Egypt, Asia Minor, Syria, the classic
lands lof the Carthaginians and the
Moors. 1.-THE glorles Of antiquity
spring from the heart of the desert -
history says. and Utah aud Colorado
are examples in our day of arid lands
made the hcmes of prosperous thou
sands. Under volcanic ash Nevada
miners are finding lodges of gold, and
under the sagebrush or the gray waste
of centuries farmers are discovering
a wealth of soil, and rich harvests Wi
presently transform the aspect of the
land. "Arid countries are always rich
countries when irrigated and the
reason Is simple: The potash, lime,
msgnesia and sulphuric acid have not
been washed out of the soil. 1t is all
there to make the fields gay with
harvest.
Few have thought of the Silver State
as lard for the farmer, but 1t Is. The
new Nevada will base its prosperity
upon its agriculture. Miners come and
go, but the land abdes, and to the soil
we must all go for our supplies of daily
bread. The permanent prosperity Of
a state ~ built upon its agriculture,
and the quality of its products must be
taken as an index of its future develop
ment. Figs, icotton, grapes, tobacco,
and oranges thrive in the south, and
in the colder northern climate are pro-
duced as fine fruit and vegetables as
can be found anywhere in the world.
Nevada sent the first ripe figs to the
competition with the whole world.
Its hay Ia In demand all over the Union
for fine stock and its wheat, unexcell-
ed In quality, has record of seventy
five bushels to the acre at Loveloek.
The home market for these various
products is not nearly supplied and
high prices rule throughout the state.