Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1907-03-13
.,.r Iournal. Miner:

.s.,, if of some definite disposition | ,, public lands, it bchooves the | ..,t men to interest themselves in Al. orc.,ion as to whether their special ...,..,s demand it, and also as to the | ,,,, interests of the country at large. Tho writer, who after more than n ,u,r,cr of n century of actual and ,,,,,icol stock raising in Arizona, who h, bccn through at least three differ. 70, drouths, with tho attending good, l,l and indifferent prices, ono who r,n knows the numerous and disas- ..,,s lcaks in the business as 1t is con. 5,.,ed at present Conditions gradually ,nw,np worsc) and tho difficulty of .,,,,,pc anv one of them, has come \, inc conclusion that n lease propo- .,ion with fence privilege, is not only ,be hes, thing left, but the only thing hh
 There are also reasons why the gem ,,,l publn would be benefited, which .ball cndcav0r to show later on. There are three principal reasons vhy stock interests cannot prosper un' a., prcscnt conditions, and one of rhi,b would be sufficient to prove dis. ,.,rou. to the business Cat least in the pas) s the practice of over stocking. Twenty years ago it was nothing to get direct from the ranges 300 pound steer that will weigh 1000 pounds after steer that will weigh 100 pounds after being fattcncd would be about the bmit. X shortage of one-third on each animal is good deal, but this is not al If the same number of cows wonld produce as many calves, con dions would not be SO bad, but when gO Der cent was fair average for calf crop. iO per cent takes it's place ,olay. and due entirely to ovcr'stock' mo Cows must have feed to raise their calves, and calves must have feed Co make bone ana meat.
 Could each stockman have his in diyidual range, scparted by fence The one that was bound to ovcr.stoci would not iniurc his ncighbor.
 Now as t6 drouth for another req son in favor of some lease system: | being condition that no one has con trol over. the first thing to consider ls how can 1 save myself. Let me asi any experienced stockman how h can save himself in case of sever drouih under the present open rang system Can it be done' say no, w't your stock practically everywhere should you fear drouth or consi' CT that the ranges were carrying h the stock they should and dispose or
 portion of your herd to relieve 1t, wha guarantee have you for your remai' ing stock, Will not those of yo, neighbors drift right in to take tf place of those shipped out! Under
 lease system, each individual he'
 would be held together, and in ca
 there should be more stock than fee
 portion could be shipped out
 there is always feed within few hu
 dred miles; this would give gunra
 fee for what is left and the own
 would at least partly save himself
 Lct me ask why, with free rang
 that in the entire absence of feed
 pasture bills, the man with i'
 hundred head does not in few ye'
 become enormously rich3 l VIII
 you; for the simple reason of ms
 ability to protect himself against i'
 during severe drouth. During ga
 years the profits are large, but WI
 The drouth comes Gas they surely WI
 all the profits and accumula''o"s
 years are swept away.
 There is another reason why
 open range system is out of date' cause hundreds of obthc cattle horses become SO wild through iaeh
 handling, or perhaps improper ma
 ling, that it often costs one'hali
 more of what they will bring on
 market to place them there, at It
 very large percent of their va
 ] havc known of eases where It
 siO 10 get n $l5 steer to the hrst
 ral, and then he would die before
 irving at the railroad station.
 It is claimed by those with pu
 lew cattle, from one to two huho
 head, that they cannot afford to re
 Now, how much does it cost; ih
 'mbcred portions of Arizona a i'
 with posts every two rods, three W
 at a cost of : cents per pound present price) 1t would take al