Arizona republican., 1906-10-13
OSTRICH FARMING
 BY WATSON PICKRELL
History of The Industry in Arizona, With Interesting Facts in Connec-
 ton. With the Raising of the Birds.

In the year book of the department of | agriculture for 1905, issued not long
 ago, is a most interesting article by Watson Pickrell of Tempe the pres ent republican candidate for the ter ritorial council.
 it was prepared by him at the re- quest of the department and is the
 most reliable and authentic publication
 on the subject of ostrich farming in America, especially in Arizona, where most of the American Ostriches are raised. While the subject has been frequently and often well treated by the writers of stories for Sunday mag azine supplements, such publications
 were necessarily stories rather than anything else. MT. Pickreu's article is a truthful history of the industry, shorn or all feature" characteristics,
 and will interest all who really want l information.
 Following are the first pages of his article taken from the year book. The entire article is too long for reprOduc- tion here, the subsequent pages treat
 ing of the care of the chicks, the plucking and handling of the feathers, handling and feeding of the birds, their age profits of the business. etc.
 Ostrich farming in the United States is really only in it's infancy. It has
 been only twenty-three years since the first American ostrich farm was start ed. The pioneer breeders in this cOun- try had to get most of their knowledge from their own experience. In fact,
 more than half of the ostriches in the
 United States are the progeny Of a
 single pair owned in Arizona in 1891. Great progress has been made in the last five years and there are now (Oc-
 tober 19O5) 2,20O ostriches on farms in
 Arizona, and the remainder in Califor- 1 mia, Florida and Arkansas.
 Where good alfalfa pasture has been . available the birds bred in America have grown larger than those first inn ported. A full grown fat ostrich will weigh from 375 to 45O pounds He will stand feet high, but can easily reach to a height of 10 or Il feet.
 Ostriches thrive best in a warm, dry climate, but can be grown in any of the southern states and territories in this country. In a moist climate they should have protection from cold and rain.
 Salt River Valley, Arizona, is thought by many to be the best Ioca- ton in the United States, for ostrich farming. Climatic conditions are fav- orable to the health of the birds, yield
 and quality of feathers, and the pro-
 duction of alfalfa for green feed the year round.
 The first ostriches brought to Arizona
 came from the CawstOn importation, and were shipped from California in 1888 by M E. CIanton & Co. There
 were 13 in the troop. old ones and
 Il young ones> While the ostriches
 were being transported from the rail-
 road station to the ransh, 10 of the
 young birds were smothered. The men,
 knowing nothing of ostriches. took double precautions to prevent their escaping from the wagon-they put
 hoods over their heads and a canvas over the wagon. The weather being
 extremely hot, 10 of the young birds died before they were transported
 miles. Before the old pair made a
 nest the female ostrich died from an accident, which left only the old male
 and a young female. In 1891 the first
 ostrich was matched in Arizona The
 birds had then passed into the possess ion of Josiah Harbert, and the Arizo-
 ma ostriches remained under his con-