Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/279

 NEVADA 267 general character of the soil and contour of the surface induce the belief that artesian wells may be successfully employed for this purpose. At present agriculture is carried on only in the fertile bottoms of the principal rivers, and at points where the mountain streams afford the means of irrigation. The principal agricultural tracts are the valleys of the Truckee, Humboldt (though the soil here is somewhat alkaline), Quin's, King's (25 m. N. W. of the last), Reese, Walker, Carson, and Owyhee rivers ; Paradise valley, watered by the Little Humboldt; and Pahranegat valley, in the S. E. part of the state. Some of the valleys not intersected by rivers are susceptible of cultivation. Here the mountain streams sink upon reaching the val- leys, and make their way underground toward the centre, where, meeting with obstructions or gathering in natural basins, they saturate the earth and render it productive. Around some of the lakes or sinks and along some of the streams occur patches of "tule land," or ground overflowed at high water and covered with a large species of bulrush. When drained these tracts form excellent meadows and may be cultivated. The chief crops are wheat, bar- ley, oats, hay, potatoes, and other vegetables. In most parts of the state the nights are too cool for Indian corn. In some places apple, pear, peach, and plum trees, and the grape vine have been set out, and have borne well. Forest and shade trees have also been planted at a few points. In the valley of the Muddy, a tributary of the Eio Virgen, and at other points in the Colorado basin, the Mormons a, few years since had settlements, where they raised cotton, sorghum, tobacco, melons, squashes, beans, Indian corn and the smaller grains, oranges, lemons, peaches, grapes, apples, pears, apricots, figs, pomegranates, olives, &c. Two crops a year may be raised here, wheat, barley, and oats being harvested in June, after which corn, beans, and garden vegetables are planted. The principal wild animals are the hare, coyote, and wolf. The beaver, otter, marten, fox, fisher, and other fur-bearing ani- mals are now rarely found. The sage hen is common, and geese, ducks, cranes, and pelicans are numerous around the lakes and sinks at certain seasons of the year. The number of acres of improved land in farms in 1870 was 92,644; number of farms, 1,036, of which 116 contained less than 10 acres each, 138 from 10 to 20, 190 from 20 to 50, 150 from 50 to 100, 242 from 100 to 500, 197 from 500 to 1,000, and 3 more than 1,000; cash value of farms, $1,485,505 ; of farming implements and machi- nery, $163,718; amount of wages paid during the year, including the value of board, $438,- 350 ; estimated value of all farm productions, including betterments and additions to stock, $1,659,713 ; value of orchard products, $900 ; of produce of market gardens, $31,235 ; of for- est products, $36,700; of home manufactures, $2,329; of animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter, $104,471 ; of live stock, $1,445,449. The productions were 147,987 bushels of spring wheat, 80,879 of winter wheat, 310 of rye, 9,660 of Indian corn, 55,916 of oats, 295,452 of barley, 985 of buckwheat, 414 of peas and beans, 129,249 of Irish potatoes, 7 of clover seed, 64 of grass seed, 25 Ibs. of tobacco, 27,029 of wool, 110,880 of butter, 711 gallons of wine, 63,850 of milk sold, 3,651 of sorghum molasses, 106 bales of cotton, and 33,855 tons of hay. The live stock consisted of 7,520 horses, 990 mules and asses, 6,174 milch cows, 2,443 work- ing oxen, 22,899 other cattle, 11,018 sheep, and 3,295 swine. There were also 6,880 horses and 9,453 cattle not on farms. The number of manufacturing establishments was 330, having 120 steam engines of 6,007 horse power and 34 water wheels of 2,538 horse power ; num- ber of hands employed, 2,859; capital invest- ed, $5,127,790; wages paid during the year, $2,498,473 ; value of materials used, $10,315,- 984; of products, $15,870,539. The principal items are shown in the following table : INDUSTRIES. Number of establish- ments. Capital Invested. Value of products. Blacksmithing 83 $81 000 $141 800 Boots and shoes 22 17300 76770 Carpentering and building Carriages and wagons. . 24 3 13,000 21000 96,400 60000 Clothing 7 9600 42 600 Confectionery 3 9000 40500 Flouring and grist mill products Furniture .... 7 8 47,200 23900 97,920 89 600 Gold and silver, reduced and re- fined 1 50000 260 000 Iron castings 5 101 000 641 250 Lead pigs 9 438,000 894,600 Liquors, malt IT 83300 134 980 Lumber sawed. . 18 193 500 432 500 Machinery 6 57000 341,500 Mineral and soda waters 3 11000 36000 Quartz, milled. 93 3 869 500 12119719 Saddlery and harness 9 24,400 60,200 Sash, doors, and blinds 2 21 000 55000 Tin, copper, and sheet-iron ware Wheelwrighting 12 12 43,800 11,550 99,300 70,500 The number of steam engines employed in the quartz mills was 84, with 5,006 horse power; water wheels, 22, with 2,168 horse power; hands employed, 1,637; wages paid during the year, $1,693,135 ; value of materials used, $8,527,843. There are 527 m. of railroad in the state, viz. : Central Pacific, which crosses it from E. to W., connecting with San Fran- cisco and the Union Pacific railroad, 454 m. ; Virginia and Truckee, from Reno on the Cen- tral Pacific via Carson City to Virginia, 52 m., with a branch of 1 m. ; and the Pioche and Bullionville, between those two points in Lin- coln co., 20 m. The Eureka and Palisade rail- road, from Palisade on the Central Pacific to Eureka, 82 m., is to be completed in the sum- mer of 1875. There is one bank of deposit, incorporated under state law, with a capital of $100,000. The executive power is vested in a governor (salary $6,000), lieutenant governor (ex officio adjutant general and state librarian), secretary of state, treasurer, comptroller, sur- veyor general and land register, and attorney