Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-08-30
ARIZONA.
Stock Raising in Pima Connty---Natural
 Forage Brouse.
Western World.

The facilities afforded by nature for
 growing of horses, cattle and sheep in
 Plma county are equal, if not superior, to those of any other portion of the i United States It's mild and delightful climate, its extensive ranges, and the variety of feed which they contain con
 tribute to this.
 Experience shows that caftle thrive under tropical heat of the summers, while the mildness of the winter climate IS exceedingly well adapted to the growth and development of stock The entire absence of the blizzarls and snow storms makes the ranges peculiarly valuable. It IS not necessary to store feed for win ter use, thus avoiding the expense of cutting, hauling and storing the enour- nous quantities of hay necessary for the maintenance of large herds
 In order that cattle may thrive. 1t IS necessary that they must have large tracts of unoccupied land upon which to graze. The raising of large herds in limited enclosures has been found not only expensive, but practically impossi- ble Pima county being as yet sparsely populated, furnishes Tanchmen wide and extensive ranges for their stock With mountain and rolling hills on the one hand, and forest and grassy plains on the other, the advantages for breeding q C superior.
 Our ranges afford great variety of feed for stock, but they may be chased into the general heads, grasses. browse and cacti.
 There are great many species of grass es. They may be subdivided into two classes seed and root grasses. Seed grasses are those which come from the seed after the rainy seasons. There Is a great variety of these. While they are still green and tender they make excel lent feed for stock, and when they come into maturity their seed is exceedingly fattening Under this subhead, too, must be considered the countless varieties of weeds which are produced by the win ter rains, and which make very fine feed. especially when they come into seed Root grass in addition to growing from the seed, also sprouts from the roots and lives throughout the year. They are al- most desirable species and are very vaIu- able for stock purposes
 The value of browse as feed for stock cannot be oyerestimated. In fact with out it, stock, and especially cattle, do not seems to do well. The trees which fur nish this browse are the mesquite" ''palo verde, ''tesota,. .'binorama," which grow on the bottoms and rolling mesas. and many scrub plants of the foothills and mountain sides. Each one of these produce first blossom and then either berry or a bean, both of which are greatly relished by stock. The flower and bean of the mesquite" {" 'palo verde' and ''tesotaa are particularly nourishing and fattening, and when they are in selson stock prefer them to all other kinds of food.
 Cacti are growth peculiar to tropi- cai climates. They are very abundant m Pima county, and include a great num- Der of species. For stock purposes how ever, the principal kinds are the Tina and the "CholIa." Both of these are very thorny species, and to one who has not seen 1t, 1t seems impossible that any thing with flesh and feeling could eat it. However. when the sprigs are young and tender, cattle will travel miles to get them.
 The great variety of feed and the fact that these are constantly succeeding each other, throughout the year, in their sea sons of maturity, are the chief and pecu- liar advantages which ranges in Pima county offer for the raising of stock.
 Although Southern Arizona possesses so many advantages over other countries and its ranges are so we'll adapted to the raising of stock, 1t cannot be said that it is without inconveniences as a fatten- ing country. Running water Is rather a scarce article in our ranges, our rainy seasons are at times uncertain, often stock have to travel long distances from water to feed and in summer when they are obliged to drink several times during the day and the heat Is very oppressive, it is impossible that they should gain flesh.
 Twice during the year our cattle get very fat, and make excellent beef; in the fall, after the summer rains and in the spring after the winter rains Our mar kets for beef, however, are limited, and in truth we cannot hope to dispose of the enormous quantities of cattle which we raise as such.