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The Pitchfork Ranch, established in 1883, encompasses some in Dickens and King counties in West Texas, in the United States, with an annex in Jefferson County in southern Oklahoma. Previous properties in Kansas and Wyoming have been since sold.〔(Pitchfork Ranch )〕 Officially known as the Pitchfork Land & Cattle Company of St. Louis, Missouri, the ranch runs commercial cattle: Angus and Herefords as well as the “black baldy”, a term which refers to the cross-breeding of Angus and Hereford. There are also South Texas crossbreds. The Pitchfork boasts 113 windmills, 80 pastures enclosed by more than of fence, and 5,000 cows and bulls. The ranch has never sold an acre in Texas but has slowly expanded from its original . The Pitchfork is also unlike most ranches in that it is larger today than when it was established, whereas most large ranches have followed the opposite course over the years and sold off acreage.〔(Pitchfork Ranch )〕 Known for its natural beauty, the ranch is featured in a photographic book ''Pitchfork Country'' by its past manager Bob Moorhouse, a member of the ranch board of directors. It is open to the public for hunting and for organized tours.〔(Big Ranch Country - Pitchfork Land & Cattle Company )〕 ==Early years of the ranch== The Pitchfork is still operated by descendants of its first financial backer, Eugene F. Williams of St. Louis. It is located east of Lubbock and west of Guthrie on U.S. Highway 82. D. B. Gardner and J. S. Godwin bought the three-pronged pitchfork brand as well as the range lands in 1881. The ranch is therefore still sometimes called “The Forks”. In 1882, Godwin sold his interest to Williams. The Pitchfork company was organized in 1883, with Gardner as general manager.〔(Handbook of Texas Online - PITCHFORK RANCH )〕 The Pitchfork is one of two West Texas ranches granted fifty-year charters, without having had a change in ownership. Ranch headquarters are located on the Geneva Fork of the Wichita River, which traverses the land from east to west. Several strategically located camps minimize travel and the necessary movement of equipment. All buildings, fences, and improvements are of modern high-grade construction.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Pitchfork Ranch」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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