Phoenix weekly herald., 1897-11-04
LIVE STOCK IN ARIZONA.
Conditions that Control and Effec;
 It.
Able Paper Read Before the Agricultural Association by J. W.
 WOOlf.

I scaPcely know what I shall be able
 to say on sne subject, Hive Stock 1T
 Arizona" that will sdd anything Go tht
 knowledge of any member of the asso-
 citation. In fact there are so many
 things that don't know about the live stock of Arizona that would far rather
 listen Do some one of broader experience
 than have anything to say on the sub
 ject myself. True I have some ideas oi | ehe live stock interest of the Territory of She condidibions shat have affected | it, end contracted is more OF less in the past and shat affecs and control it now
 1 say shat 1 have some Idea of bhs in huenoe OF effect of live stock produo-
 bion has had, and the development and
 material welfare of the Territory from | it's earliest settlement and psrhsps
 something I may say may bring out discussion that will be profitable. The time was I think when Arizona came as l near fulfilling all She requirements of 8 l pastoral or range country, ss any part
 of the whole arid region Of She United | States so far ss the means of sobsis- l taros and climatic conditions for sheep. cattle and horses are concerned Is will be remembered by those who have had long experience in She range
 OF especially the ostsle range business shat about from 1882 to 1886 was the period of sn unprsoidented boom in the cattle range industry, She result, one of she results at least of that fevsRish speculative condition during 8 few years. About the period above men toned the Eesult wes to quickly
 ovsFstock all OF nearly all the
 ranges east of the Rocky Noun
 tains and only 8 little Ilater arriv-
 ing st similar result in Arizona. I
 believe every man of any experience will
 conside it 50 be feos that no matter
 how good any range may be, or how
 abundant the feed on any new range,
 shst it deseriostes very rapidly after
 being stocked and of no range country
 is this more noticeable shsn in the
 greater part of Avizons, where Che
 grass forms a sod, it yields slowly to the
 effects of the trampipg of cattle OF
 other stock, but where she grass does
 not form 8 compact sod it is not only
 quicklys gr8zed of, but yields much
 moge rapidly to the effects of grazing
 So long ss she rich grasses were uns disturbed it mateFializsd and was cured
 by the sun and dry air and formed a soss of mulch that not only assisted in retaining the moisture after rains, but served also to prevent the Ysin from running off quickly and osused it to soak into the ground thus causing much more abundant vegetation than on ranges that were grszsd bare.
 1 merely sllude to thess conditions because proper knowledge of the con- ditions that have influenced live stock production in She past in 1his Territory, is necessary to a correct understanding of the conditions that influence and and affect She live stock in- terest of today. From the stand point | of climatic conditions perhaps no part | of the gseaa West Is better adapted to 1 the production of cstsle than Arizons, and the northern half of the Territory seems especially adapted 10 the gFsz- ing of Fheep and the production of | wool. Bat having glanced at past cons ditions and surroundings les us look 8
 little to shose oE the present.
 I have no statistics at hand to enable ne DO compare bhs present sup | ply of cattle in Arizona with | lhat oe more former years. But t seems evident that she demand is sver increasing, and I think even now g greater than She supply, not only for beef bus for all classes of cattle. With sn evsE-inoreasiug demaud, what are we ioing to meet she demand? I am afraid ve aRe pursuing 8 suicidal policy by sending ous for stocking other ranges nd for slauGhtering many thousand 'ows and heLffers every year. I doubt 'sry much whether Arizona has as neny cattle now as she had five years 'go. During ths several unfsvoFable l Tesrs previous to 1896 and 1897 there O@o fSty AABAS CSOPS Oe OdlfSSs euc | asuslsies from drought snd osheF ad- 'srse conditions were certainly far above hs average, and In addition to all this many hsFds were sold and closed out nsirely. Another factor that should ot be lost sight of in this connection is hat previous to the enactment of she >iogley tariff many handreds, or thou snds, CT cattle were imported from Iexioo annually. Now the tariff will ce as an effsosuel baFrier to such inn orta5ions. Now as against all these dverss conditions. this apparent dis erity of production in proportion to ne demand, what have we got or what . au we do as offsets? Three things snd , nIy three. First, present oompsFa- valy favorable range conditions; sec nd, larger capacity of irrigated arss ; silized for fattening and cattle pro- potion; third, the production of better rades of cattle. Will shese offsets ,ur rterbelence the effscts of all She , 1veEes conditions that have influenced , le business during the last decade or ors? I fesr not; although advancing riees will, without doubt, act as 8 owerfol ssimulsnt to production and lvoYable seasons will help wonderfully < 'ward similar lgesult, yet I think we