STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 155 



sive mode of transportation, there is afforded to the agriculturists of 

 Nevada Territory a protection which is resulting in developing that 

 interest at such a rapid pace that in a few years the great inland basin 

 will be self-supporting, so far as regards all of the great staple articles 

 of agriculture. This, at a superficial view, might be regarded by the 

 people in Nevada as a reason why they need feel no haste about pro- 

 curing railroad transportation. Let the people of Nevada, however, 

 consider that their great and almost only source of wealth consists in 

 their minerals, and whatever facilitates the process of extracting these 

 from the earth in the most speedy and economical manner should be 

 paramount in their thoughts. With a railroad transportation, Califor- 

 nia can feed the miners of Nevada Territory at a far less cost than this 

 food can be raised in her unfavorable soil and climate. 



