Arizona republican., 1917-06-17
CHA GRAZING LAND UNR|vALED:
LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY SECOND
To MINING IN FAVORED COUNTY

tricts and gather them in the White
Mountains.
In the last census report we find
that the Indians of ella county owned
about one and one-fourth million dol
lars worth of livestock. This is al
most equal to the value of animals
owned by other persons. The Indians
have improved their animals so that
they are almost as good as those own
ed by other stockmen in the district.
From time TO time the government
has given them improved animals to
start with to further improve the
stock. Range cattle owned by the In
dams have a restricted range and the
range is protected so that food is
abundant. In this way the stock own
ed by the Indians are insured sufficient
food, while those in the open range
must be fed at certain periods. Thus,
it has happened that the blood thirsty.
fierce Apache, most to be feared of all
redskins, has developed into a pros
porous stockman. Much credit is due
the Indian service for this improve
ment.
Grazing Lands Unrivaled
ella county has the finest grazing
lands in the southwest. The supply
of water is plentiful in most places.
and where inadequate it may be Sc
sured at small cost. Some very
famous springs are found in the coun-
ty. The county has a climate that is
unequaeld anywhere for raising cattle
and there is little time in the year that
good feeding cannot be found in abund-
ance The district is noted for its
spring range of alfilarie and pea vine.
The district is especially known to be
healthy and there are few diseases
found among cattle. The range is well
watered from many creeks such as
, Bonita, Clear, White Mountains, etc,
and the Verde and Salt rivers have
their origin in the mountains in the
county. There are many forests, mea-
dows, mountain glades and fine valleys
suitable for stock raising. The White
Mountains are much noted for their
roughness and excellent pasture. In
! the seventy miles square of range,
there are over 100000 head of animals.
| Up to the present there has been
little land taken up for agricultural
| purposes and what has been fenced is
along the Tonic and Salt rivers and
! the Pinal creek. 1t is doubtful if there
will ever come a time when more than
! two per cent of the land will be under
cultivation. The valleys in time will
produce crops suitable for feeding the
various animals produced on the open
range. Another point which is of great
: significance to the quality of range in
ella county is the fact that the rain
fall is more abundant than in most
other parts of the state, there being
from fourteen to twenty inches of rain
fall annually. The entire county was
an open range until the White Noun
tain Indian reservation was establish
ed; later the Tonic national forest was
also located.
Horses
The earliest record of horses being
introduced to the county is not avail
able. The following is a list of the
number of horses in the county at diff
ferent periods not including those own
ed by Indians
Year No. of Horses
1851 -...-..-.- .......-...... zig
1900 1919
. : e : : c,cOc
In 1882 it is reported that there were
only 90 colts born in the county.
During the ten years that followed. the
number increased to 4.691. 1t was re-
ported that in 1898 there were S,04S
horses in the county. At this time
ella county ranked sixth in point Of
numbers and eighth in total value Of
horses among the counties of the state.
The number increased slowly until
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