The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1914-04-18

important factor in attracting people |
to the many fertile valleys of Lincoln
county to make their homes seem
now to be a settled fact. 1t may
be news to many on the outside to
learn that located in the southern
end of Lake Valley, about thirty
miles from Phoebe, is the largest dry
farming enterprise in the state-notl
excepting the state dry-farm in ElkoI
county.
The project was undertaken two
years ago last September, in the
autumn of 1911, when K. A. Hodges
and others filed on the waters of
Wilson creek and it's tributaries.
These gentlemen at once saw the
great possibilities which the region
offered; but shortly afterward, Mr..
Hodges disposed of his business in
terests in the county and left. Mean
while, other local business men visited
the valley and, after a. thorough in
vestigation arrived at the conclusion
that farming could be successfully
carried on in that region without re-
sorting to irrigation.
Before making any more advances,
however, the services of Mr.. w. M.
Jardine, formerly of the Agricultural
| college of Utah, but now of the Agri-
cultural college of Kansas and a rec
| ognized authority on dry farming was
| obtained Mr.. Jardine spent several
days in looking over the region. He
paid particular attention to making
an investigation of the native grasses
| and shrubs, but most important of
| Ill To-.
due time, he made mis- report which
was to the effect that Lake Valley
was undoubtedly one of the favored
sections of the arid west for the dry
farmer Mr.. Jardine had no records
to go by to ascertain the actual rain
fall, yet from information which he
obtained from persons who were
somewhat familiar with that particu-
lar phase of the situation he felt rea-
sonably certain that the annual pre-
cipitation in that locality was amply
sufficient to produce bounteous crops
Mr.. Jardine had visited practically
all of the socalled dry-farm sections
of the United States while employed
by the government and he had nc
hesitency in declaring that he knew
of no region anywhere which hel(
out such promises for the future o
the Lake Valley country. The sol
conditions, altitude and natures plac
ing of the mountain ranges wer'
ideal, he said, to contribute to sue
cessful dry-farming ventures. Tn
mountains surrounding are high an
precipituous and so situated as t
form a natural storm belt and it
a we'll known fact that rain and snoN
fall there during many months of tn
year, when scarcely any or no moi
ture falls in adjacent territory.
Following the receipt of Mr.. ia
dimes report, an association {
twenty, nearly all of whom wer
Phoebe business men, formed what
now known as the Valley View Farm
ing company. Those comprising tt
association acquired the water RICH
TT referred to from Mr.. Hodges and a
ty sociates, the idea being to obtain W
t. ter sufficient to meet the needs Fl
domestic purposes and with the vie
IF of possibly making it the necleus f
10 the laying out of a townsite whenev
n the future development of the vail
Or demands it. Incidentally, the wat
w thus acquired makes it possible
mature a crop of 1000 acres by ir
a CATION. At any any rate, the wat
70 is considered most valuable ass
n, to those interested In the enterpris
~ The farming company has nothi
to do with the landed interests
a the individuals interested; but
" means of this association, which ow
y, livestock, implements and machinel
Is the land taken up by each member
~ the association can be improved a
g placed in crop much more cheaI
than il the work were done by ca
"a person individually. The farmi
'o' company also owns large fa
70 house, barns, machinery sheds, gr,
;, cry, etc. The company and indiv
lai uals have expended in buildings, II
&c stock, machinery and improvement
mt about $4,000. About eighty acres
py grain was harvested last year a
ee the value of the crop was estimat
to be worth about $4,000 and TAX
de into consideration that this grain v
ne sown on new ground, which to c
form strictly to dryfarm meth,
he should not have been put into Ct
MS until the autumn of 1918, the rest
st were highly gratifying. Turkey I
led wheat stood the severe winter {;
4da yielded we'll Thirty acres of
zen Yello Golfer variety was .sown in
autumn Of 1912, but entirely win