1398 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OP PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



such as ditcli, repairs, water develop- 

 ment, etc. Preferred stock is very dif- 

 ficult to secure at the present time aud 

 is valued at |100 per share. There is 

 still a large amount of land lying idle, 

 largely on account of the owners having 

 no preferred stock. Much of this land 

 could be utilized hy the use of common 

 stock and moisture conservation methods 

 for the remainder of the year. 



The climate may be considered as one 

 of hot summers and delightful winters. 

 The dryness of the atmosphere prevents 

 any feeling of depression and permits of 

 farm operations at all times. There is 

 no snow and the annual rainfall ranges 

 from seven to eight inches. Fall frosts 

 are encountered between October 20 and 

 November 20 with fair regularity. Harm- 

 ful spring frosts are little known, none 

 occuring after the middle of March. 



General farming has been the practice 

 until a few years ago because of the lack 

 of transportation facilities, A great 

 change has taken place within a few 

 years and higher priced products, both 

 fruit and vegetables, are being raised ex- 

 tensively and successfully. 



The land is well adapted to the rais- 

 ing of asparagus. Tomatoes grow pro- 

 fusely and if a canning factory is estab- 

 lished will be a leading industry. To a 

 similar extent lettuce, peas, onions, po- 

 tatoes, and all kinds of vegetables are 

 raised for the spring markets. Sweet 

 potatoes thrive in red sandy lands. 



Among the fruits, apples, pears, 

 peaches, nectarines, almonds, figs, pome- 

 granates, plums and prunes, have proven 

 with many years of experience on small 

 tracts to produce good crops. 

 The Thompson's seedless grape flour- 



ishes and at Bunkerville it is now the 

 leading industry. Table grapes have been 

 grown but the lack of market some years 

 ago discouraged the growers. The canta- 

 loup industry is well established, many 

 carloads being shipped every season. 

 Peanuts grow readily, orange and lemon 

 trees are frequently killed to the ground 

 during the winter. English walnuts 

 seem to require more humidity. Pecans 

 and olives are in the experimental stage. 



The Las Vegas valley, in which is sit- 

 uated the thriving railroad town of Las 

 Vegas, is an immense valley. Here water 

 for agricultural purposes can be secured 

 from artesian wells. The climate is sim- 

 ilar to that of the Moapa valley but the 

 plantings of fruit are yet limited. 



Southern Nevada offers many oppor- 

 tunities to those interested in the grow- 

 ing of fruit and vegetables. Land can 

 be procured now at the ordinary prices 

 for irrigable farm lands. Eventually 

 farms will be selling at the high prices 

 now prevailing in Southern California 

 and the Hood River valley, Oregon. 



Conclusion 



In conclusion we may state that def- 

 inite information on Nevada horticul- 

 ture, as to the number of acres planted to 

 fruit trees and the area in bearing is 

 not known by anyone at the present time. 

 A movement is now being urged hy the 

 Agricultural College of the University of 

 Nevada for an appropriation to make a 

 horticultural survey of the state so that 

 the conditions may be better known and 

 the amount of land available that might 

 be offered to homeseekers desirous of 

 engaging in horticultural pursuits. 



TTniversity of Nevada, Eeno, February 12, 

 1913. 



