MINING. Nevada owed her early development to mining. Immensely rich lodes of silver and gold were discovered. one of which—the ('omstock lode (9.v.)—produced as high as 5:35,000,000 worth of bullion in one year. \\ ith the apparent exhaustion of the Comstock lode. •the industry decreased considerably. The output of silver con tinued to decrease until 1899, when the product was valued at $1,090,457. told. however, revived during the but decade. the output for 1899 being valued at $2.219,000—more than double that of 1893. Copper. lead. and iron ore are also mined. No coal has been mined since 1594. The rich mineral resources of the State afford a valuable field for future development.
AGitictmTunE. Agriculture is less developed in Nevada than in any other State. It is the most arid of the States and at the same time vontains the most meagre sources for an artificial water supply. The lack of transportation faeili ties and of local markets retards the development of such possibilities as exist. In 1899, 504,168 acres, or SS per cent. of the total improved area, were irrigated. The most extensive irrigated areas are along the Humboldt River and in the west-central part of the State. There are alto gether 2,565.647 acres, or 3.7 per cent. of the State's area, included in farms. The industry centres about stock-grazing, the tilling of the soil being a mere adjunct to it. The animal products, together with the hay and forage and other products fed to live stock. comprise 50.6 per vent. of the total value of farm products. During
the last decade of the century there was a large increase in all varieties of domestie animals. Cat tle and sheep are of the greatest importance. Stock-raising being so prominent, hay and forage are naturally the most important of the crops grown. In 1599 there were 292,134 acres devoted to them, or 71.6 per cent. of the total crop area. Alfalfa constituted about one-third of this acre age. In the same year there were 15.537 acres devoted to wheat, 7043 to barley, 4756 to oats, and 2235 to potatoes. The wheat area increased five fold during the decade.
The soil is of great fertility and produces abundantly when sufficiently watered. The fol lowing table shows the relative importance and increase of the different varieties of domestic animals for the decade 1S90-1900: • • MAN LE:lel:I:RING. The manufacturing estab lishments are chiefly of a domestic nature. pro ducing and repairing articles for local sumption. Car repair shops and flour and grist nutting employ the greatest capital. The total capital of all manufacturing industries is less than $1,500,000.
TRANsvotrATiox. There has been little in ducement to railroad construction in Nevada. For several years the mileage has been abmrt 920 miles. In proportion to the area of the State the mileage is less than that of any other State. The principal line is the Southern Pacific, running from east to west through the State. There are no navigable streams.