The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1915-10-30
Good Sense in Boosting

Boosting is good medicine for a great many local.
ties and enter Jrises, but only when tie booster observes
he principle that "the truth is good enough tf'hhs
such observance his efforts must go for na''2h'' OF react
upon him, causing injury where benefit was intended.
Certain Nevada newspapers, imbucd with an admirable
desire to set forth in the brightest light the native re-
sources e the State, are inclined 20 bc me i'lsoine IN
pointing to the agricultural possibilities 0F the central
nd southern counties. 1t is true that these counties con
tan a vast acreage of land that is adapted 10 reclaina-
tinn arG that is potentially very rich: but it is also true
that most of this land must be reclaimed and worked In
comparatively small areas and on a more intensive OASIS
than has been undertaken anywhere in this region.
The statement most susceptible to m1sconstruct1on
and the one most frequently put forth, is that this part
Of the State contains large areas suitable for cattle ranges
and offers opportunities for the establishment OF great
cattle ranches. If this were true, and it is not, Southern
Nevada would today rival the peerless cattle country OF
the northern part OF the State. as cattle and sheep men
are not overlooking any such opportunities Tor slez1nS
upon open range. This, however, would be the least de
slrable manner OF settling and retaining the great
stretches of arid land in this region, as the big cattle out
fits have reclaimed only such land as they must have for
raising hay for their own consumption.
On the other hand. the settlers of the future i'll this
territory will be the small. intensive farmers and stock
raisers; men and families who will acquire and work
small areas, developing water for their needs by building
mountain reservoirs or sinking wells. These settlers,
however. will not be seen on the great stretches of flat
plains lying between widely separated mountain ranges,
but in the small valleys. far above these great arid flats.
where water is obtainab1e and where the surrounding
hills afford shelter to vegetation and animal lie. The big
Hats and deserts cannot be and never will be watcrcd,
dHu WHllc lncN Onldll Il lrec S1T1nklnS u SINAI punch
grass III the spring, this Is soon dried up BY the whitening
sln and the absence OF springs or water courses must for
ever preclude the grazing of livestock on these deserts.
Even with ample water little OF this desert land could be
made fertile. as much OF it is deep sand and much is too
heavily 1mpre2nated with minerals inimical to the propa-
cation OF grains or other vegetation.
The traveller through Southern Nevada sees practical
~ nothing of the actual agricultural resources at hand
here, and III order to see what is of real value he must
leave the desert automobile roads and climb we'll byond
the lower foothills, where he will find innumerable val
leys that are traversed by mountain streams or that con
tam running springs: that have groves of cottonwood.
p1nyon pine or other mountain trees, and that are carpet
Cd III spring with rich, long grasses. These little valleys
form the undeve1oped agricultural resources OF Southern
Nevada and future years will see them populated. Welding
tiers.
70 be sure, the kawich country and certain areas in
central and eastern Nye county contain good cattle range,
but the agricultural resources of this region will never be
developed by mere use Of the open ranges. Results in
this direction can only be achieved bv intensive work bv
the small farmer and landowner. and while such develoD-
ment must come gradually, the success attained in the
Moapa, Las Vegas and other valleys in the extreme south
ern part of the State must inevitably lead to other reclama-
ton enterprises, growing rapidly in number as their sue
cess IS demonstrated. From these more Dretentio,,s
projects will result the reclamation of smaller tracts in the
loot-hlll valleys. where better land is invariably TO he
found and where water is more readily obtained than in
the larger valleys of the lowlands. Let us boast of course
but let us remember that the truth. in this instance is in
flnltely better than fiction.