northern and central Nevada frosts rarely ever occur, and in southern Nevada frosts 

 are confined to the late fall and winter months. Contrary to the belief of those 

 unfamiliar with the climate of the State, the winters are as a rule mild. The stormiest 

 season is from the middle of January to the middle of March. Snow rarely falls to a 

 depth greater than two feet in the valleys, and the normal duration of snow on the ground 

 is from three to five weeks. April and May are unsettled days of balmy spring weather 

 alternating with cold "snaps," raw winds and frosts. By the first of June, however, 

 and frequently earlier, steady summer weather begins and lasts until October, with 

 warm and hot cloudless days and cool but frostless nights. About October first 

 occurs the equinoctial storm, lasting about ten days and usually accompanied with 

 the heaviest rain of the year. After this, the remainder of October, all of November and 

 frequently the greater part of December is glorious fall weather, compensating with its 

 charms the disagreeable features of the spring. 



Manifestly, on this showing, which is confirmed by reference to meteorological 

 records, the climate of Nevada is generally, and in some instances extraordinarily, favor- 

 able to agriculture. 



RICH AND FRUITFUL SOIL 



Is the soil of Nevada's valleys inferior or destitute of the elements which nurture 

 plant life? 



Nature, to initiate, in this State has placed in her natural desert flora an almost 

 infallible criterion of soil values. Ordinarily, in northern and central Nevada, the 

 growth and thriftiness of the black sagebrush is determinative of the character of the 

 soil, and only in exceptional cases the rule does not apply. 



The alkali deserts are barren of vegetation other than a few stunted weeds and thorn- 

 bushes. These deserts, in the present stage of agricultural science, at least, are hopeless 

 of reclamation and are only valuable for their mineral contents of salt, soda, and borax. 



Natural Soil Classifications. 



The following classification of soil values, based on the character of the desert flora 

 in Nevada, will be found substantially correct in almost every instance: 



LUXURIANT BLACK SAGEBRUSH, from three to five feet high, denotes invariably a 

 rich soil with all the constituents required by plant life including nitrogen and humus 

 in abundance. Such land in Nevada will yield bountifully any crop within the 

 climatic range. 



MEDIUM BLACK SAGEBRUSH, from two to three feet high, reasonably thrifty in 

 appearance, indicates invariably good soil free from alkali, with sufficient nitrogen, 

 humus, and all other necessary constituents required by plant life. Such land under 

 irrigation will produce in northern and central Nevada from three to seven tons of 

 alfalfa to the acre, twenty-five to fifty bushels of wheat, or from 1 75 to 400 bushels of 

 potatoes, and relatively all other crops within the climatic range. 



MEDIUM BLACK SAGEBRUSH WITH GREASEWOOD, with occasionally thorn-bush or 

 shadscale intermixed, or patches of wild rye, denotes first of all surface moisture and 

 usually a soil rich in humus and nitrogen. The presence and relative thriftiness of the 

 black sagebrush is the natural criterion by which to judge of the quantity of alkali con- 

 tained. If the black sagebrush thrives, the fear of excess alkali in the soil may be 

 dismissed. Lands of this character will frequently grow wheat, rye, emmer, potatoes and 

 certain other crops without irrigation, due to the soil moisture naturally present, when 

 dry-farming methods are followed. There are thousands of acres of land of this char- 

 acter in the State susceptible of cultivation without irrigation, which at the present time 

 are lying fallow. Most of this is in private ownership, chiefly of stockmen. 



STUNTED BLACK SAGEBRUSH AND THORN-BUSH are indicative of a soil deficient 

 in nitrogen and humus, but not essentially of the other constituents required for crop-grow- 

 ing. The nitrogen and humus may be supplied, where the conditions otherwise are 

 favorable, and such land be made very productive. Land of this character should be 



