Discussion on Mr. Lewers' Faper. 151 



All this chain of valleys I have mentioned has an abundant and never- 

 failing supply of water for irrigation purposes, and most of the land in these 

 valleys lying nearest to the mountains requires very little irrigation, being 

 supplied with sufficient moisture from springs. In connection with this 

 water supply there are certain peculiar conditions that prevail here that I 

 think are worthy of notice. One of these is that, wherever the forest timber 

 has been cut ofi' the mountains, a new growth of the same kind of timber 

 has sprung up, much thicker than the original growth, and none of this 

 young timber will start to grow till the old has been cut down. Another is 

 that the water supply from the mountains is greater and more permanent 

 than it was before the timber was cut off. The reason f^r this appears to be, 

 that the wind has a more unimpeded course, and as all the snowstorms come 

 from nearly the south, the snow is blown from the south sides of the ridges 

 to the north side, where it is piled in deep, solid drifts, and not being ex- 

 exposed directly to the sun's rays it melts very slowly, consequently it 

 affords a more permanent supply of water; also spring floods are less fre- 

 quent than they formerly were for the same reason, as there is less snow on 

 the southern slopes to be melted off quickly by the sun. 



DISCUSSION OX MR, LEWhRS' PAPER 



Pi'esident Earle, of Illinois — We are pleased to hoar from Ne- 

 vada. 'I his is our first paper from tliat state. 



Mr. Ragan, of Indiana — Mr. Lewers is our Vice-President for 

 Nevada. As such he is making himself felt. He has just handed 

 me the names of about six (including the governor of the state) 

 new members. Such Vice-Presidents are worth having. 



Mr. Munson, of Texas — Mr, Lewers, what are the meteorological 

 conditions of yoiu- state? 



3Ir. Lewers, of Nevada — Our maximum temperature is about 

 90°, and our minimum rarely below — 10°. Our precipitation is 

 mostly in the foi-m of snow', in the winter season Our summer 

 rains are light, and mostly in the month of July. Irrigation is our 

 chief dependence, the melting snows of the Sierras being the source 

 of water supply for this purpose. Fruit-growing until recently has 

 been for home consumption, very little having been marketed. As 

 stated in my paper, the clearing up of the mountain forests has 

 seemed to increase our water supply. This is doubtless due, as 

 stated, to the drifti-ng of the snows into the mountain ravines, where 

 its great depth preserves it better throughout the season. Our for- 

 ests are mostly of pine timber. Our winds and rains are generally 



