Arizona citizen., 1874-10-10
Angora Goats aud Blooded Sheep.

goats and sheep than that of successful men in California, who learned from ac- tual experience. At the late State fairsat Sacramento. there were some exhibitions of very fine goats and sheep. The cores pondent of the San Francisco Bulletin wrote up the wool ammals in this man. her, and stock growers ia our Territory may get some useful hints therefrom:
 We occasionally hear through the press something about the Angora goat industry, but the people of California generally have not an adequate conception of the leading industries in the State. The faith Of these men in Angora is strong, and they appear to be gradually realizing their eX- pectations. About l20 head of Angora goats are located at the fair grounds, the exhibitors being N. Gilmore. Fl Dorado; Landrum & Rogers, NatSOnville, Santa Cruz; k. Beck Sacra3nentO; C. r. Bayley, San Jose; and J. F. Sergeant, of GilrOy. Landrum and Rogers, of WatsOnville, are so interested in this business that they are gradually withdrawing from Sheep-raiSlng, in which they have been extensively en- gagged, in order to devote themselves more directly to AngOraSs This industry was originally commenced in the State in 1861, but there was very little done in it until 1868. N. Gilmore, of Fl Dorado county, eX- hibits twenty head of these goats, nine- teen of them of pure blood, and one a 63- 64ths pure. The latter is so like the pure stock that an expert could not detect the grade, and MT. Gilmore exhibits it to show what can be done by skill in breeding. This exhibitor imported his first stock direct from Asia Minor in lS67-S. He has now about ,S00 head, of which 600 are pure breed. Mir. Gilmore is enthusiastic about Angoras. He believes that the manufacture of Mohair will become an important industry in California. Up to last year all the expectations have been made to Liverpool, but Mir. Gilmore has received adviceS from Hall x Turner, of New York, who are embarklng in the business, that they are now prepared to re- ceive all the Angora wool he can cOnSign to them. Last year, first-clasS AngOra wool fetched 70 cents per pound. It is now worth from S5 to 90 cents. The second class, which last year sold for 40, is now fetching 50 cents. Mir. Gilmore clipped from his buck Hannibal, on exhibition, SH pounds of wool in April last. The average clip of a fourth cross of AngOra on to the common goat is about five pounds. In addition to being made into mohair, Angora wool makes splendid car riage mats, and may be tanned for Morocco leather. Specimens of AngOra Morocco tanned by Eberhart, Of Santa Clara, are shown by MT. Gilmore. The soil and climate of California have proved thor oughly adapted to these animals, and with a home manufactory the wool will in the future be in greater demand even than at present. l may also mention that MT. Gilmore has eXperimented upon alfalfa for food for AngOraS, and finds that it answers satisfactorily.
 It is an everyday saying that the old Spanish herds are fast uying out in Cali fornia, and are giving place to sheep Of a superior description. The increased eX- ports of the wool prove this fact. In 1860, 3,055,325 pounds of wool were exported from California. This increased in 1870 to f9,23S,000 pounds. In 1873 the exports of wool reached 2S,55500O pounds. One req liZeS thoroughly the improvements in sheep-raiSing by visit to the sheep de- partment at the Agricultural Park. There are to be found peuS of SOuthdownS, Cots wold, Shropshire, French and Spanish Merino, Deicestershires, etc, from all sec tions Of the State, except the southern counties, together with stock, by Ham, mond & Co.,, from Vermont. All who have examined this department are unan- imous that no better show of sheep was ever made at any State Fair in the Union
 Severance & Peet, who two years ago came here from Vermont and settled at Niles station, Alameda county, exhibit seventy head of Spanish MeriuoS. All are pure blooded, and either imported or de- Scendants of imported stock. AS showing the value this firm set upon their animals, Mir. Severance, in my hearing, upon be- ing asked the figure for four noble looking rams, said that for not less than Sl ,U00 each could any one become purchaser. Mir. Peet says that as having experience in Vermont and California, he had no hesita- tion in stating that Spanish Merinos thrive much better in California than in the State in which he was before engaged in the business. The equable climate here made them prosper. The growth of the wool and the animal is retarded in Yer mont, as compared with California, by the long winters. Severance & Peet have also made experiments at their ranch upon al- falfa as food for sheep. They put ten acres into alfalfa, the same being irrigated, from which they cut twenty-eight loads of hay. They calculated that this ten acres of al- falfa is sufficient to pasture one hundred acre; whereas, under the old system Of herdIng one or two acres is necessary for one sheep, according to the character of the graZing-landS. Of course, each eX- hibitor believes that his particular class of sheep is best for tue farmer. MeSsrs Severance & Peet maintain that for all purposes there Is no sheep like the Spanish Merino.
 Landrum & Rogers, of Watsonville, ex- hibit nine head of CotSwolds, with wool of a fine texture and great length. They state that the wool of three ewe-lambs on exhibition sheared last Spring total of fOrty-flve pounds, and each fleece sold for S7.20 per head.
 J. B. Emerson, of San Mateo; also ex- hibits CotSwold sheep, the fleece of one of Fall, weighed l9L pounds, and after SCOUT ing in the San Jose wOOlen-mills, it weigh ed l2A pounds. The sire of this sheep was imported from Canada, from direct En- gliSh stock, and was purchased for Cali fornia at the price of Sl $50.
 Lewis Pierce, of SuiSun, SOlano county, has two'or three pens Of pure Shropshires