The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1877-05-05
i ANGoRA GOATS IN TEXAS.

lrAoAu thO UtsiN CssOh NACA.I NEWELL
SAN ANTONIO, April IA, 1S77.-O1er
thirty odd years ago Mr.. w. ID. Parish
crossed the Trinity River in Texas with
q horse, saddle, bride and $5 in cash as
the sum total of his wealth. In the
spring of 1862 he settled upon the pres
ent rancho, near Leon Springs, twenty
two miles south of San Antonio, now
containing 1900 acres, with over 900
inclosed in pastures and small field
for cultivation, besides a nice peach
orchard and garden. Here he raised
sheep with good success, but his bonanza
he discovered in raising Angora goats.
Mr.. Parish began some three years
ago, with Is head Of imported Angora
goats from far-off Asia. He now has
about 1000 head crossed up from the
Mexican goat. Last spring he had about
800 nannies, prior to the kidding season.
They yielded over 500 more nannies,
which will produce between 600 and 700
more this spring. He has one nanny
that has yield six kids in fifteen months.
l send you a specimen of the long,
soft silky texture shorn from the back of
one of his imported billies. 1t is worth
81 per ID, and the average yield per ami
NAL is 31-2 lbs from the nannies and 4
to lbs from the billes, with to 10 from
the best specimens.
Mr.. Parish thought the American
breeders would far .surpass any thing
ever yet attained in Asia, as our people
are so much more intelligent and thor
ough, and Texas especially this noun
tain portain-is SO well adapted to the
goat. 1t supplies every requisite.
The imported Angora ranges from
5000 up to the fancy figures of $500 and
So, 900 per head for the choicest speci-
mems. But the full-bloods of this coun-
try can be had at $40 to $50 per pair.
In breeding or crossing with the Mexi-
can stock, which costs only IS cents to
81 per head, it is thought that the third
cross will yield fleece of pounds
weight or more, worth 80 cents per
pound; while the full bloods shear 1-2
to 5 pounds, worth never less than IS
cents to 81 per pound. The length of
the staple of the imported Mohair is
from 8 to ~ inches, and the full-blood
6 to II. The reader can figure up the
profit on the rapidly multiplying flock.
Over fifty years ago the Mohair or
Angora fleece found its way from Persia
into France, where, being united with
the fleece of the Cashmere, 1t gave us
the celebrated shawls SO much admired
by the ladies. All Mohair goods-la-
dies dress goods, such as poplins, ETC.,
are manufactured from the wool of the
Angora. The Mohair of Asia is all now
spun in England, while much of the yarn
is exported to France and mixed with
French silk goods.
The nanny goats are often kept for
their rich and healthy milk for children
teething and table use. They will give
from one to two quarts day. 1t is
highly nutritious.
If the skin is dressed with the fleece
on, it can readily be dyed any color,
and then it is made into muffs, capes,
beautiful trimmings for heavy winter
garments, etc. Our brilliant moroccos
all come from the kid-ladies' boots and
ladies' and gents kid gloves, carriage
finishing and trimmings, also furniture.
The suet is the best in the world; while
the meat of the young, tender kid, prop
erly served up, is a tOothsome dish. 1t
was, indeed, the great delicacy of old
Bible times. On such diet the grand
old patriarchs saw heavenly visions,
wrestled with the angels and uttered
words of prophecy; the later Hebrews
and Greeks waxed fat and muscular.
In short, there are so many practical
uses to which the Angora can be turned,
that to glut the market is next to i'm
possible, while he feeds upon grass and
bushes, and can be raised cost not
much beyond common chicken. If the
grass and bushes that perish in this part
of Texas annually for the want of con-
sumption were converted into Angora
fleeces and animals, the export trade of
Galveston, in these articles alone, would
more than double her present cotton
commerce.
Send your idle young men, if you
have any, out into these mountains to
raise sheep and Angoras. Here are your
gold mines, indeed, and "therc's mil
lions in EN-" Mr.. Parish begun with
next to nothing. His place is worth
over $4,000 to-day, and he has got over
hundred thousand in sight.
ANOTHER RANCHO.
During a recent trip up in the noun
tains north of San Antonio visited the
famous Post Oak Stock Rancho of Mr..
Benjamin +. Dane, formerly the home
of Col. George Wilkins Kendall, with
whose name all old Texans are familiar
This rancho embraces over 4, 800 acres of
the finest mountain and valley land in
the world.
DR.. Dane, who married Mrs. Kendall,
lives with his family upon the rancho.
1t is truly princely estate, and they en-
terrain their friends with a corresponding
hospitality. There are about 40 acres in
cultivation, which will be increased to
100, as the farm part of the premises;
the balance is devoted to grazing. About
800 acres are now inclosed, which can
be increased to 1000 by the expenditure
of about $4,000 more in fences. Much
of the fence is stone wall. Mr.. Dane is
raising fine horses, pure Spanish Merino
sheep, AngOra goats, Berkshire hogs
and some cattle. On his farm he gathers
30 to 60 bushels of corn to the acre, 20
to 80 bushels of oats, and other agricul-
tural products in proportion. The soil
is rich, and of late years the seasons
have been favorable with regard to rain.
But droughts do occasionally prevail, yet
with deep blowing and early planting
every body makes produce to spare.