Arizona republican., 1905-02-27

seven full grown birds were sold to the Arizona Ostrich company when 1t WIS incorporated in 1893 with w. $. Pickrell as manager.
 In the fan of '9S A. Y. Pearson pur- chased from Mr. Cawston thirty birds with wi:ich he established the Florida Ostrich farm at Jacksonville, Fla. He shortly formed a copartnership with M. J. Taylor, an extensive feather manufacturer and dealer, of New York City. with whom he bought the origi- nal shipment of Dr. Protheroe which had heen removed from Anaheim to ullerton, and those belonging to Mir Cawston at Norwalk. The following spring Messrs. Pearson and Tayler separated, MT. Taylor retaining the Florida farm, which hy this time num- bered over one hundred feathered in iabitants, and Mir. Pearson taking the California interests of the firm Mr. TaH Tor still controls the Jacksonville farm on which, though carried on more for exhibition than breeding purposes the increase has been steady and the place ranks today as one of the lar ecst and most attractive of it's kind 1T. the country.
 It is evident that MT Pearson saw into the future of the ostrich in Amer ica. At any rate the slight experience he obtained during his winter in Flor 'da determined him to start the busi- ness on a larger scale. In November a he purchased a large tract of land ten miles west of Phoenix to which he removed lis birds from California buying at the same time nearly two hundred more from EEr. Pickrell of the Arizona Ostrich Co. who you will OlaS haA dr1t ink the past year. The Pearson farm, which has recently been incorporated under the name of the Phoenix-Am ican Ostrich company, had before the close of last year, increased in numbers to over one thousand birds, making it by several hundreds the largest ostrich ranch in America.
 w $. Pickren has been one of the hardest fighters for the success of the ostrich industry in the valley for the past six .'ears. That he has confi- dence in it's promises and the courage of his convictions is attested by the fact that Ea has recently associated himself with two other corporations for the cultivation of the bird. The National Ostrich company, located near Phoenix, and the Tempe Ostrich com pany at Tempe. Interested with MT. Pickren the his brother Watson Pick rell and V. $. Clark, both of Phoenix, also Joseph Zipperiein and William Hartramft, capitalists from the east. These ranches are stocked with sev- eral hundred birds.
 The last to enter the field is J. M. Harmon, for some years superintendent of the Pearson ranch where he ac- quired a practical knowledge of the business. MT. Harmon has just turned his birds upon the green alfalfa of his new place a few miles west of Phoenix which he calls the Big Five Ostrich farm, in honor of five magnificent pairs of breeders obtained from the Phoenix American Ostrich company. These five pairs alone. Mir Harmon declares. will add one hundred and fifty more chicks to his possessions before another year has passed.
 Besides the farms already mentioned are Bentley's at San Diego, Leache's at San Jose, Co5urn's at Hot Springs, Arkansas and q small place at Ashe- vflie N C.. these four aggregating about three hundred and fifty birds. This completes, is believed, list of all the ostrich farms now in the United States.
 It must not be inferred that ostrich farming in this country has been an
  Like every great industry it has been obliged to pass through the experi- mental stage which at present is but little more than completed. It has re- ouired something more than knowl- edge of the habits of the birds, as wit ness the signal failure of Mir. Johnson who spent much time and money among them on their own heath. The birds must accustom themselves and their physical requirements to entire ly new surroundings. New blood must become inured to new conditions. In spite Of the marked resemblance or their new abode here to that of thelr original habitat many new propositions had to be met, in food, temperature, liberty of range, fencing, and aooVe all a thorough knowledge Of lncupa- tion. There are today something less than three thousand ostriches in Amer ica. Until recently most of the farms have been maintained for exhibition n,Irnoses It is only within the last few years that serious attention has been given to pjropagation- Iooay men are opening their eyes to the real possibilities of the proposition. strengthened by the experience ,vrought from the mistakes of the past the industry should bound with mlShty leans in the next five years It Is not a wild hazard that at the end Of that tirne inc Salt river valley alone should hold ten thousand ostriches, represent inc a valuation of $3,000,0OO with an annual output of feathers amounting to S350.00O.