WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 935 



ARIZONA. 



The Territory of Arizona, with a population of only 69,600 in 1890, 

 is, so tar as the sheep industry is concerned, in as prosperous a con- 

 dition as any State or Territory in the great Southwest. Sheep hus- 

 bandry is the leading and most profitable agricultural pursuit of its 

 people, and the indications are that this will continue the leading live- 

 stock business. Stock-raising must indefinitely remain the principal 

 industry, as the coiintry is little adapted to any other general pursuit 

 outside of mining and farming by irrigation. The sheep business is 

 in a very flourishing condition now — in fact the industry has been in a 

 thriving condition since its inception ten or eleven years ago, when 

 the first start of any consequence was made. There have been a few 

 sheep in the Territory for over twenty years. The most reliable statis- 

 tics on the subject show that the number in the Territory, not includ- 

 ing those on the Navajo reservation in 1870, was only 803 head ; in 

 1876, only about 10,000; in 1880, 76,624, and in 1890, 698,404; so it is 

 evident that the sheep began to be brought in about ten years ago, and 

 have constantly increased in numbers as well as in public favor, and 

 to-day they are considered the mainstay of the country. There is 

 probably no other place in this country where the same class of sheep 

 can be handled with so little expense the year round as in Arizona. 



It is necessary, before entering into a discussion of the merits, con- 

 dition, and general facts pertaining to sheep husbandry of the present 

 time, to consider in a brief way the past history and progress, the 

 physical characteristics, and climate of the Territory, showing its 

 adaptability to live-stock husbandry, and why the industry is prosper- 

 ing notwithstanding that it costs more to get the wool and mutton 

 products to market than in any other portion of the United States. 



The Territory of Arizona is situated in the southwestern part of the 

 TJnited States, bounded as follows : On the north by the State of IJTe- 

 vada and the Territory of Utah, on the east by New Mexico, on the 

 south by the State of Sonora, Mexico, and on the west by the States of 

 California and Nevada. It extends from the one hundred and ninth 

 meridian west to the Great Colorado Eiver (nearly one hundred and 

 fifteenth meridian), and from 31° 28' of north latitude to the thirty- 

 seventh parallel, and contains an area of 113,960 square miles, or 

 72,906,240 acres. It has a mean length of 380 miles north and south 

 and 350 miles east and west. The Territory is an empire in itself, and 

 equals in area the six New England States and New York combined, 

 or those three great States of the Mississippi Valley, Ohio, Indiana, and 

 Illinois. Some idea of the newness of the country and its present lim- 

 ited development is shown by the fact that of all this vast area only 

 15,116,269 acres have been surveyed. 



The middle and northeastern portions of the Territory consist of 

 plateaus which have an elevation of from 3,000 to 8,000 feet above the 

 sea, and are here and there dotted by volcanic cones rising from 2,000 



