The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-18

hUtlNt SUI pdiuo WIN bpV'' W NeA>
eighteen inches in diameter, hedges of
ponIeeran8tes, olive trees, nuts, figs,
grapes and other semi tropical products
that grow side bv side with the grains,
apnles and berries. which are more
usual in this latitude.
Climate and Soil Remarkable.
Both climate and soil must be re.
markable to produce such results. and
they are so. The soil, which has been
washed down from the surrounding
hills, is q sandy loan and of unknown
depth. 1t is loose, light and warm.
easy TO irrigate. easy to drain, and OF
remarkable fertility. The alkali prob,
lem is here, as in most other parts of
the west, but the natural drainage is
so good and the artificial drainage so
easy TO add that the alkali is kept
under control without difficulty. The
inches. but is atoped for by the ample
supply of irrigation waters from the
Muddy river. Even with this light
rainfall, the soil is retentive enough of
the moisture so that dry farming has
been done by the experiment station.
During the summer the temperature
goes to a maximum Of about lis de.
grees but the air is so dry that the
heat is not oppressive. This occurs
pnlv during July and part Of August.
Even during July. though the average
daily maximum is abont lo5 degrees,
The nights are cool. AS for the winter,
II is ideal. The Thermometer seldom
drops below 25 degrees. even at night,
and during the day il is very comfort
able, This has been so, even during
this winter which has been unusually
cold there as il has been in most other
narts Of The United States.
Seems q Paradox.
In this connection should be related
an amusing ipcident which happened
on a recent trip into that country. One
of the men was Mr.. Robertson, general
manager for the Moapa Fruit Lands
company, who had made several trips
into the valley during the winter and
knew the unusual condition prevailing.
He remarked on the coldness OF the
winter TO a farmer who was working
close bv the road, and the man g reply
given with good deal of emphasis,
was:
':Yes, I should say so. It's fierce. y
Yet that farmer had all winter been
eating radishes, onions, lettuce and
den bot $50 yards from where he was
at the moment he spoke. Moreover, he
was driving a riding plow at Q o'clock
in the morning on February ! and was
in his shirt sleeves. Yet the winter
was ''fiercel''
That incident vividly illustrates two
of Moapas s. chief advantages over
most districts. One is the commercial
opportunity which it has in it's ability
to grow early vegetables for the city
markets. The most excellent aspsra-
gus. cauliflower and cantaloupes are
grown here. These are all crops which
normally produce pretty high values
per acre and which are especially val
liable if they can he grown little
earlier than the same crops In other
places.
Crops Are Early.
Now it happens that these products
are grown to advantage in Moapa from
two weeks 10 month in advance Of
most districts. going To the markets
even earlier than those from Cali
fornia
With the advent of the railroad the
profits from careful market gardening
in this district cannot but bc very high.
especially when il is remembered that
several crops can be raised from the
same land each year From six TO eight
cuttings of alfalfa are had.
The perfect figs. apricots, peaches,
apples, ounces, berries, etc, which ca n
be grown here offer further possIbili.
ties. If canning factory is estab-
lished. as seems likely. its products
should receive the highest prices iu
every market Furthermore the de-
pendability of its climate and soil
should make the seed and nursery in.
dustrles very profitable.
Ideal for Winter Home.
The second one of its assets is its
attractiveness as n winter home. Few
more pleasant climates could be found
in the winter than this with its clear
beautiful days and its evenings Just
cold enough to make FIRE desirable.
AS matter Of fact, it is in all respects
almost a sister-district of Utah g
"Di1ie' Its altitude is about 1000
feet.
The development Of this place has
been long delayed by The lack Of rail
road and the cost of hauling distance
of twelve TO twenty miles over roads
not of the best. But the Salt Lake
Route is now building road into the
valley which will traverse it's whole
length end connect with the main line
at Moapa. The property owners i'm the
valley have provided tho grade. and
the branch was last year i'm operation
over its first and most difficult sec
ton. The rest of the road is to be
built this year. When that is done
Moapa should begin to do the things
on q large scale which it is now doing
on comparatively small one and