The Arizona sentinel., 1886-11-27

lnree ..... ~ 70
One q" heifers. ID &" 20
Two = 90 %
Three I" " heifers and cows26 /" 60
Two transcontinental railroads pass
ing through the northern and southern
portions of the Territory afford the
stock raiser convenient facilities for the
sending of his surplus to market east
and west. At present the Arizona
cattleman finds is markets outside
of the home demand-in Kansas City
and San Francisco. Los Angeles and
other Southern California towns, are
also drawing their beef supply from
the Territory-shipping mainly over
the Southern Pacific
Stock associations for mutual pro-
lection and assistance have been or
ganized in the several counties, and
the business is now conducted in a
well ordered and systematic manner
Stringent laws have been enacted by
the Territorial Legislature for the pro-
lection and encouragement of the stock
industry, and cattle thieving is punish
ed by severe penalties. The squabb!e
and contentious of neighboring cattle
growers are now seldom heard of,
while the loss from theft has been re-
duced to the minimum. During the
past two years there has been large
number of cattle driven in from Texas,
Colorado and New Mexico. Can eful
estimates put the number in the Ter
ritory at the present time at 100000
head.
While some sections of the country
are stocked to their full capacity,
there are yet many desirable ranges in
Northern and Central Arizona only
partly 50. These ranges are all claim
ed by parties with small punches of
cattle, and can be secured on very
reasonable terms. The demand for
feeding grounds is steadily increasing.
The Eastern cattle-growe is being
slowly but surely Crowded out" by
the farmer and compelled to move on
west. Arizona is now the only avail
able "cow" country. Nearly three
fourths of its grazing lands are yet un
occupied and can never be utilized for
any other purpose. Here Nature has
clearly defined the domain of the cat
tle-grower and the farmer, and there
is no danger that the interests of either
will ever clash, or that the former will
ever be driven out by the latter.
Agriculture must, in the nature of
things, always be confined to the val
legs bordering the principal water
courses, and the vast area of rolling
plain, table-land and hillside will re-
main the domain of the stockman.
Maly Arizona stock-rairers are try
ing the experiment of fattening in in
closures. The soil in the valleys of
ella and Salt rivers is especially adap-
ted to the raising of alfalfa, or CHILEAN
clover. 1t attains luxuriant growth,
and in its green state or cut as hay, it
makes an excellent feed for stock. 1T
has been demonstrated that one acre
of alfalfa will support an animal the
whole year. Several stockmen have
planted large tracts on which they
keep band of cattle rolling fat and
ready for market at any season.
Arizona has many other advantages
for stock growing, which space will
not admit of enumerating here. The
profits of the business are greater than
in any other region of the west; sue
cess has been the rule and failures are
hardly ever heard of. There is no
safer or more lucrative investment, and
the opportunities for men of moderate
means are yet manY.-Hamilton's Re
sources of Arizona.