940 sheEp industry oi' the -united states 



grower in northern regions sees thousands of his flock destroyed by snows and icy 

 tinds and is compelled to provide food and shelter for his shivering flocks, here m 

 Arizona they roam at will over mountain, hill, and dale from January to December. 

 In Yavapai Coconio, and Apache counties the sheep are pastured during the spring, 

 summer and antamn in the glens and foothills of the San Francisco, Mogollon, and 

 Sierra Blanca ranges, and on their outlying spurs and parallel ridges. The short, 

 sweet pine grass of the mountain country is eagerly sought after by the sheep and 

 they grow fat very rapidly upon it. Late in the fall the flocks are driven to the val- 

 levs and mesas of the warmer regions farther south. In the spring they are taken to 

 the shearino- grounds, and then to their mountain pastures for the remainder of the 

 year Besides the grass we have alluded to, the alfileria, or wild clover, has been in- 

 troduced by sheep driven from California, and is rapidly spreading over the country. 

 It is a species of feed sheep are especially fond of and on which they keep m prime 

 condition at all seasons. 



Diseases among sheep in Arizona are rarely ever heard of, and the woolgrower is 

 saved the expense and constant annoyance of " doctori iig " his flock, as is the case m 

 other countries. The pure air and clear, cold water of the mountain region has a re- 

 markably healthy effect, and in the winter months as well as in the summer they 

 keep in excellent condition. 



The grade of sheep in the Territory is being steadily improved by the introduction 

 of many fine Merino, Southdown, and Ootswold rams. The stock first brought to the 

 country were driven from New Mexico, and were a poor lot, reduced to mere runts by 

 inter-breeding. But a better grade has been driven from California, and by careful 

 crossing the Arizoua sheep will compare favorably with any in the Rocky Mountain 

 region. They are fine woolgrowers and make delicious mutton. The yield per head 

 averages about eight pounds per year. Sheep are shorn twice a year—in the spring 

 and fall. 



The sheep industry of Arizona is only in its infancy. The large profits realized 

 are an inducement not easily withstood, and the remarkable success which has at- 

 tended those who have engaged in it will naturally attract others. Nearly every 

 man who has gone into the business has already become, or is fast getting rich. The 

 failures innearly every instance are due to ignorance and mismanagement. With some 

 practical knowledge and a good start, a man with average energy and a fair share 

 of industry will find himself independent in a few years. There are yet fine ranges 

 unoccupied in many portions of the Territory, capable of sustaining thousands of 

 sheep, while very desirable locations can be secured at reasonable figures. In east- 

 em Yavapai and Apache counties the sheep pastures are not excelled by any in the 

 Southwest, while the facilities for shipping the crop are everything that could be de- 

 sired. In Graham, Gila, and Pinal are also many choice ranges where fortunes can 

 be accumulated within a few years. 



SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE TBKEITORY. 



The facts given above clearly show that sheep husbandry is well 

 adapted to Arizona, and that within a single decade it has risen from 

 a small beginning to almost the leading live-stock pursuit. Notwith- 

 standing the fact that cattle have had the prestige as well as priority 

 on the ranges heretofore, it is acknowledged that they are gradually 

 giving way to sheep, simply because they are not so well adapted to the 

 country or as profitable a class of stock to handle. In the southern and 

 central portions of Arizona the recent dry seasons have cut short the 

 grazing to a considerable extent, and very large numbers of cattle are be- 

 ing shipped to northern ran ges of Dakota and Montana. Owing to this 

 fact, and the prevailing low prices of cattle, the numbers in the Terri- 



