POTENTIAL GREATNESS OF NEVADA 



sea-level, and whore the warm breath of the Gulf of Cali- 

 fornia is received through the canyons of the Colorado 

 river, figs, olives, pomegranates, almonds, English wal- 

 nuts, and, in sheltered places, even oranges, may be pro- 

 duced, according to the testimony of old residents. The 

 climate of Nevada, as the products would indicate, covers 

 a wide range. Like all parts of the arid region, it is dis- 

 tinguished by pure, dry air, an extraordinary amount of 

 sunshine, and consequently a very high degree of healtli- 

 fuluess. It is a climate fit to breed a robust and vigor- 

 ous race. 



These are not the popular impressions of Nevada, but 

 the traveller who has left his hot and dusty car to breathe 

 the cool fragrance of the little oasis at Humboldt, to 

 walk for a few moments within the shade of its trees, 

 and to hear the music of its waters, should not hesitate 

 to accept them as true. The little patch of green which 

 a hill-side spring has spoken into being here is a sample 

 of what millions of desert acres will become. Farther 

 on the traveller catches a twilight glimpse of the thriv- 

 ing farms of Lovelock or of the green Truckee mead- 

 ows. But the larger examples of irrigation lie off the 

 beaten path. Such an instance is the Carson Valley, 

 hidden between the sheltering shoulders of the Sierras. 

 To appreciate the possibilities of this derided State, the 

 critic should visit that valley in the perfect Nevada 

 spring-time, and look upon its farms, its homes, and its 

 villages. There he would behold a memorable picture of 

 thrift, of beauty, and of peace, from the white blossoms 

 in the door-yards to the white summits of the mountains. 

 And there he might read the true prophecy of Nevada's 

 future. 



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