The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1920-02-13
OPPORTUNITIES
IN NEVADA


complied by Charles A. Norcross, d.
rector of the agricultural department
OF the extension department of the
state university, and published by the
agricultural section of the U. S. rail.
road administration for the dissent
nation of aceuratee information for
guidance of prospective settlers and
homeseekers, contains the following
under the headline, Area of Re-
claimable Lands"
The land area of Nevada contains
70,S41 900 acres, of which only about
100000 acres are at present irrigated
There are possibly 900 acres more
subject to ultimate reclamation whei
storage systems are constructed t.
conserve all the food waters of the
streams. In addition to this surface
water supply, many valleys contain
artesian waters which In due time ma.
be utilized for land reclamation
Finally, 1t seems probable that exten-
Slft al tdo III tti ldlu Vi TIC hibhCl val
leys where the annual precipitation Is
from twelve to fifteen inches, may bt
successfully reclaimed by dry farm
methods. when experimentation has
determined the problem of drought
resistant crops and methods.
Summarizing the above we find that
only about Ia per cent of the land
area of the state is at present under
cultivation, with a maximum expan-
sion. through the complete conserva-
tion of the flood waters of the streams
to possibly 100000 acres. or a little
over 2 per cent of the states total
area; that this may be supplemented
in time by the utilization of artesiaa
waters to an indeterminate extent pos
sibly several hundred thousand acres;
tiers and the experimentation of he
state, the outlook is favorable that
some method will ultimately be found
by which a million acres or more in
certain of the higher valley may be
successfully dry farmed.
On this showing It at once Is ap
parent that not more than for or five
per cent at the ouside. OF the states
total area is subject TO reclamation
in any known manner-a Limitation of
not over 3.500.000 acres. and possibly
less. There yet remain for consider.
alton over 66.000.000 acres chiefly be-
longing to the public domain. From
this area we may subtract about 16,.
900 acres of sand and alkali des.
ers OF no human value except. in in
stances. for the salts contained
The remaining $4,000. 900 acres are
by no means waste lands. Instead
they have an important place In the
agriculture of the state and nation.
These are the range" lands used for
Livestock grazing. On these lands at
the present time 100000 cattle and
100000 sheep find subsistence.
This vast range area is clothed with
100000 sheep find subsistence.
portion of which are palatable and
nutritious to cattle. sheep and horses
lntermixed with the brushes are ma
tive grasses and grazing plants of va
rious kinds. The range domain is,
therefore, a part of the agriculture Of
the state. II is factor. moreover
of primary importance In connection
range livestock which is destined for
the stockyards are fattened on the
farms, affording a constant and high
PRICED market for all forage crops
produced. The importance and util-
ity OF these great mountain and val
ley deserts, without such explanation
is not perceived by the tourist. With
preceiyed notion of agriculture bas-
ed on farming as conducted elsewhere
he is disposed to dismiss this range
region as one that is utterly inhos-
pitable to human welfare other than
perhaps mining.
Such a view is modified very ma
terially when one visits any OF the
highly cultivated valleys. Here the
verdure Of thrifty fields and the pros
perity, modernness and attractiveness
OF the farms and farm life will COM
pare favorably with the more prosper
Gus and progressive farm communi.
ties elsewhere in America