The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-12-07
NFyADA'S RFSOUR-
CES ADVERTISED

agriculture for the state of Nevada, is
taken from the Chicago Inter-O Ocean Of
November 26:
What has the state of Nevada to
offer in the way of opportunity to the
homeseekerg What sort of country is
| it-what sort of climate has it-what
sort of people are its citizens-what
sort of crops grow and with what aver
age yields-and what are the market
and transportation facilities?
The idea generally entertained of
| Nevada from the agricultural stand
point is largely erroneous The impress
sion of the state which the traveller
gets from the Car windows of any of
the three transcontinental lines which
cross it is entirely one sided and
lprejudicial. With the exception of the
Truckee valley about Reno no part Of
agricultural Nevada, other than few
isolated tracts of cultivated land, can
be seen from the trains. On the other
hand, all that the tourist finds within
his observation seems desolate, unat
tractive and forbidding. Agricultural
| Nevada is not visible from the great
railroad lines and ! may also add that
as general rule, the desolate stations
along the way are by no means fair
criterion from which to judge the
social life of the state.
Big Range Of Climate.
Nevada occupies the western por-
tion of the Great Basin and is the most
arid state in the Union. The average
rainfall is but 9.67 inches per annum.
1t is a state with valley levels ranging
from 1000 feet to 5000 feet elevation.
The lowest are in the southern part of
the state, and here the climate is sub
tropical. With the one exception of
California, Nevada has the greatest
range of climate of any state in the
Union. Were it upon the Atlantic coast
it would cover territory from the
northern boundary of Pennsylvania to
the northern boundary of South Caro-
lima and Georgia
Sixty per cent Of the total area is
mountainous, Is per cent deserts and
25 per cent more or less arabic valleys.
There are approximately 200 valleys,
each surrounded b mountain ranges
from 1000 to 5000 feet higher than
the valleys. The climate is milder
than that of the eastern, middle and
western states. The fury of the win
ter storms is exhausted on the noun
tain ranges. Snow rarely falls in the
valleys to a greater depth than one
or two feet and its duration on the
ground in northern and central Neva-
da is ordinarily only a few weeks. In
many valleys of extreme southern Ne
vada, where almost perpetual snow
may be observed on the loftiest peaks
snow in the valleys is as rare as in
southern California.
Is Sparsely Settled.
~eL +..x Iax
deserts are the chief characteristics OF
Nevada. There the air is clear, dry
and invigorating. In this great arid
upland wherever brook issues from
a mountain, a spring break forth
ever river flows, will be found re
claimed farm lands. But one one
hnudredth part of the total area of the
state is yet under cultivation-750,0 ,0p(
acres out of 100000.
For fifty years Nevada was Civ Ell
over almost exclusively to mining Or
the mountains, hills and valleys grow
natural forage grasses, shrubs anG
tie and sheep which in the early his
tory of the state gave direction to tht
first agricultural development That
of forage crops to fatten the range cat
tie and sheep for market. Tie oldel
cultivated sections of the state, sucl
as the Truckee valley at Reno, tht
Carson valley on Carson river and tn.
river will be found diversified farm
chard and garden; handsome farm
barns and granaries and modern ant
cultivated people.
These valleys afford an example Of
what is being developed in the newel
agricultural districts. The Fallon val
nation project is being brought to con
and attractive agricultural section
with 10000 acres now under cultiva
tion and 100000 additional acre
which will be opened for colonization
within the next few years. = For 30t
miles along the winding Humboldt
river and it's tributaries are farm
which afford abundant proof of tn,
richness of the soil. Smiths and Ma
son valleys, recently opened to rail
road transportation, offer homes fo
thousands. Southern Nevada, with it,
sub-tropical climate, where cotton
almonds, figs, pomegranates, Olives
and grapes thrive, promises to riva
southern California.
Filled With Opportunities.
Land in Nevada, however rich tn,
soil, is valueless for farming purposes
without water for its irrigation. Ther'
are some places where dry farming Il
successful, but land that will grow DIR,
farming crops win be found only il
valleys where the annual rainfall ex
ceeds fourteen inches. Such valley
are of considerable elevation, general,
about 5000 feet. On the other hand
certain tracts Of land are dry farme,
where there is subsurface moisture
caused by high water table which i
! sufficient to produce crops. l woul'
advise homeseekers to exercise th
greatest caution in acquiring land il
Nevada on any declaration that it will