The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-18
NCLE JOHNS EXPERIMENT.
5T1RTIN0 4 NEW INDUSTRY ON THE
HILLS or NORTHPORE

Goats from the Mountains Of Angora Thriving
Under the Care of nn Aged GRrdener-1he
snow-Whi FIerces that lie has shenred
What has been Learned In Three Years.
Ina wcather-bcaten story-and-a-ha house
surrounded 10y three Of tho hills ot North
port Long Island. live John Henderson. nm
elderly man OF Scotch percentages. familiarity
known as Uncle John. with his wife and his
constant companion. Butcher. fat and sleek
shepherds dog. Most OF the time he is without
hired help. and the barn and the storehouso
and even the house. have holes and cracks that
show that the owner has had more than enough
TO do in harvesting his small crops and tending
his animals. Uncle John. although he Is sixty
years OF age. and has nm abundance OF gray
hair and beard. is hale and hearty and more
sprightly than some Of the young men who
lounge about the lonely depot but he Is enthu-
siastic on several subjects and his spare time
is spent with books newspapers. and cor
res1ondence In one corner OF the bedroom on
the kitchen stands an old-fashioned writing
desk. on which are scattered country newsDa-
pers. clippings. manuscript and few books.
among which are schooboy's geography and
his Handbook OF the Grasses Of Great Britain
and America" The manuscript is n part Of a
work on the subject OF his latest enthusiasm,
which is Angora goats. He has disnincd his
farm by calling it a ranch. and he classes
among his occupations that OF goatherd.
His wife assists him. and she knows the best
points OF goat as well as he does. Until three
years ago Uncle John had not seen a pure.
thoroughbred Angora goat. but he is now better
informed. probably. on the origin and the pecu-
larities OF that animal than any other person
in the United States.
In a rough pen adjoining the stable. and in
tho barn. are about thirty snow-whitc goats.
~. - IN.
their shaggy coats and thin. stin legs they are
not attractive; but seven Of the thoroughbreds
or pure bloods have full growth OF fircce. and
when Rnawing their corn they look like large
irregular snowbnls. Billy. the old buck. has
been clipped. and his long. white beard. and
twisted horns that extend far along his back.
are his most distinctive features. Nanny. the
oldest eve. has not yet shed her fleece. although
It is long past the time and she is pure white
Her sides are full and round. and the fleece.
parting on her back has long. wuvy locks that
move with every breath Of wind. and fall below
her knees. Although so white aud delicate
looking. the kids are as sprightly ana playful
as common goats. but they are more gentle and
less mischievous. Uncle Johns flock is do
INVESTIGATED and the kids follow in his footsteps
and rub against his legs wherever he goes. oc-
casionally giving Butcher dig in the side IL he
permits such familiarity. Butcher by the way,
lie better In many ways than hired man, ana
more faithful. He drives tho COWS home. takes
the horsOa to water. goes on rrrands with
message tied to q strap around uts neck. goes
from the pLourhed land nrross tho railroad
track to his mistress To- ascertain II dinner is
ready, aud returning. calls his master home.
Uncle John had been p.oughing; His horses
cayey soil. and his brow was wet enough so
dampen ms straw hat ai'sT ihe srainns WORK
my,goats." he said. tossing. Inside the rope that
had served as reins. Well. yhu'll nnl them
the prettiest creatures on Long Island II war.
rant It's only an experiment I'm making, hut
In time hope that It will bn one OF the chief in
dustres Of this island and some pgrts Of this
country. But before we 70 any further. let me
give you n short history Of III. Introduction OF
Angoras into this country His andience-the
writer. seated on the topmost rail of n rickrty
ridee1settled into, as comfortable positions rs
sparingly diffused over the whole surface Of
Asia; but from the fact Of these gonts abound
ing to the estimated number OF 100000 md up-
ward in Angora. a district among the Taurus
Mountains. in Asia Minor. they have received
hemispheres. The city Of Hngora, from which
the district takes its name Is about 200 Mules
from Constantinople The region marked out
about as large as one-elcvcnth OF the area OF the
State OF New York. The country is more or less
mountainous and furrowed by deep valleys. and
the climate r. excessive. the winters being very
cold and the summers exceedingly not. In Presi-
dent Folks administration the Sultan OF Tur-
10 teach cotton raising. Dir. j. b. Davis Of South
Carolinn was sent there by Pres dent Polk. just
before DR.. Davis's return in lS4s. the Sultan
asked him 10 receive ~ mnrk OF his respect
nine head Of the choicest naece-braring goats
10 be found in his domain. They were brought
10 this country and. with few others that DR..
Davis purchased. placed on his turin. Ihey
were tne hTst AnSGr@ g9Ws .o ,n'9 6a,s
previous 10 that time was desire expressed by
William Hall. In a communication 10 nnbllea-
ton. TO have them imported. In ls49. Col.
Richard Peters OF Georgia took an interest in
Angoras. He has crossed Them with the
the credit to Of extending the use(ulnrss
and the value Of thoroughbred and full
soOs d coz T0'R se Anq r. s9 81 SEa
KY, who in 1860 purchased Of Col. q. b. Long
OF Hopkinsyille Ky. for $500. twenty-hvr head
bloods and high grades. His first lot 4 mohair
he sold for sl.25 pound. You Will notice that
j make several distinctions, such as thorough
breds. pure bloods, iull bi99Is, a.. class IN,
ported goats MS thoroughbred-. the product OF
thoroughbrcis in this country rs pure blOods.
and the product OF II cross between thorough
bred buck and common goat MS Ugh grades.
which in time will produce lnll bloois.
Angoras. Ia my judgment are the only species
that can be- distinctly Recognized. The others
have all been crossed. Full-blooded Angoras
can be produced in this country by grading ~;
but you must use care and patience. The origin
terry; but in my book | shall give my opinion
that the species is the product OF cross be-
tween goat and sheep.
Until about three years ago Ind not seen
had read considerable about them. and had
my own ideas OF how they ought to he cared Tor
first saw the goats on the farm OF Mr.. CrOzier
the fancy stock breeder, He had been living on
Beacon Farm. the property ot Charles Dclama-
ter. and had removed 10 bis present place. near
here and, as he had no proper place 70 keep
the goats. he proposed 10 me- To- keep them on
shares. After Keeping them twelve months, We
agreed upon price. and Ipurchased them. |
also got ten tnoroughbreds from Mr.. Cnemery
OF Belmont. Mass. They hal Il fun peiigree
Two years ago ! bought twrnty-eient head, part
thoroughbreds and part full boQds. did not
have them long before found this rule: Don't
breed with a grade buck. The product Will de-
tcrorate II that 10 done, and all the trouble Will
have been taken for nothing. 1 have now about
thirty goats. They should have been SheArrd
about the LIST Of April. when they begin 10 shed
their fleece. have not shrared some Of them
because | wished to keep them 10 show ns'the
result OF my experiments. have sent some to
Texas and pair OF thorOughbreds 10 Col. Pc
tiers. The neeces Of my hlgh-graded ewes
ought TO be from three TO five pounds each in
weight, and the wool from six ~ eight inches in
length. The meat. especially that OF Kids. IL de-
licious. and the milk has more solid matter
than cows milk. What tho Aldrrney COW Is 10
the common COW the Angora goat Is to tho COM
mon goat"
Blucher began 70, be uneasy. and ct 2 signal