The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-05-23

an automobile has run between Carson
and the springs for the benefit of its
patrons
Agriculture forms a major portion OF
the Industries of the valley, the town
being encircled with prosperous farms
OF varied sizes Small fruits, apples.
pears and plums are raised in abund-
ance, while potatoes, hay and grain
form the principal crops. The soil is
very productive, insuring good yield
from whatever may be planted, wheat
oats and barley and rye being raised
without irrigation.
A company of enterprising men have
recently secured 500 acres of land to
the south of the city and are placing it
under cultivation as rapidly as possible.
The ground is being cleared, fenced and
planted to grain. Deep wells are being
bored for irrigation purposes and cleo
trio pumping plants will be installed.
This experiment, which can hardly fail.
will mean much to the State as well as
the city. when its success is an estab
lished fact and the ranch placed upon a
paying basis. There are thousands of
acres of land in Nevada lying idle for
want of a sufficient water supply, and If
it is demonstrated that pumping plants
are practicable, Nevada's future will be
ticularly to land beyond the reach of
the great Truckee irrigation canal and
other natural water channels.
A GOOD STOCK YEAR.
Western Nevada as a favored locality
for stock raising was never Better il /
lustrated when the winter of 80 broke
every stockman in the section by its
unwonted severity. Ninety-fiVe per
cent Of the stock persisted on the ranges
and the loss was not fully realized un-
til the melting SHOWS of the spring un-
covered their carcasses heaped in the
raYineS. There are few countries where
such stockmen could have recuperated
from such wholesale losses, but the Nc
vada stockman has the indomtable
mountain spirit which does not falter
when fortune strikes bedrock They
were all up and doing the following
year and beginning to rebuild their
fortunes. They are most of them bet
ter fixed financially than ever and they
believe in the Indian tradition that a
really devastating winter only strikes
Nevada once in forty years and the next
is not due for some time yet.
Nevada has just passed through a
very mild open winter and with the wet
spring the forage is thick upon the
splendidly and even the ninty, barren
parts of the hills are mantled with
filleree
This last mentioned forage.pIant is of
recent growth in Nevada. It made it's
first appearance about ten years ago !.
Nevada. its seeds having been brought
winds or possibly on the backs of sheep.
The seeds of the Spanish fodder plant
alfillerfa- more commonly called I'll
leree, has number of little spiral
shaped hlaments which cause it to cling
to anything with which it comes in
contact
the past ten years, from a few scatter
ing plants, Ii has made its way steadily
over the State, and now the hills, once
so bare Of vegetation, seem a congepial
soil for this plant of tenacious growth
1t does not attain the heavy growth
which characteriZes it in Mexico and
Southern California, but it never leaves
a place where it has once taken root
and this year appears to have been very
favorable to it, 1t furnishes very fat
tening fall feed for stock of all kinds
and they do not seem to care for it
green They relish II most when it is
dried and withered.
Mining in the immediate vicinity OF
Carson is not carried on to any very
great extent. Several mines that were
closed at present, not being rich enough
to compete with the wonderful diseoV-
cries in Southern Nevada. The glitter
of those mines has blinded all men to
anything less astounding in richness
nearer home.
CARSON VALLEY.
Carson Valley, Douglas County, is
south of Carson City and extends thir-
tains that inclose the adjoining valley.
The western peaks rise almost perpen-
dicularly from the level cultivated land
and are gorgeous with their shimmering
covering of snow during greater por-
tion Of the year. From the deep snow
packed ravines near the summit flow
innumerable streams of clear, cold
water, bounding with frantic haste over
steep, rocky cliffs, reach the plain
there to wend peacefully through
the comfortable farms bringing
unbounded prosperity to all with
in reach of their ever valuable
main channel of this natural irrigation
system. 1t runs lengthwise through
the central portion of the valley, with
two large forks branching to the east
and west. Thus water is available to
nearly all of the fertile soil
This valley is most beautiful, with its
broad expanse Of level. carefully cu2ti-