The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-01-15
~HE aNGoRA cor.
A New Industry fn western Tcxa..

dGctiOa i5tl the United S-stes. The
name Cashmere was doubtless intended
to convey fictitious cbsrecter and false
value u The animal as producing the
material from which some costly Orien-
tai goods are made, being worth from
SIX 10 eight dollars per pound. Tne
COST OF ThIbet is the true Cashmere; -
It's name is derived from the city
where the, far-!smed casbmete shawl
is made, bus the wool entering into rs
manufacture is obtained from the ur-
dereoat of down" this is combed out
by the natives as II starts TO shed in
the spring, and is used bF them in the
manufacture of the cashmere shawl
and other very costly fabrics. The
Thibtt goa; has been thoroughly test
ed in the United stes, but unsuceess-
fully. The AngoTs Is native of Was
lachIa il Asia, Minor, whose fleece,
known 20 commerce as ''mohalr,"
has been an article of import
into Great Britsin and this country for
years, and held at from fifty centa to
one dollar per pound. Mohsir is man
ufsctured principally into pOplius and
alspsca goods, that sire known sc mo-
hair goods, into pushes and braids.
The finer Qualities are also substituted
for silk aud the common for wool. Mr..
K. Peters, of Atlanta, Georgia, is che
pioneer in the resriog OF ADgora goats,
and has attained the success due his en-
terprise and Intelligence. Through
Mr. Peters, the Augora goat has been
introduced mo different portions of
the Caited States, and il hiss been
demonstrated that this valuable animal
will soen figure largely in the important
industries of Western Texas. The
mountainous country, beginning at Aus
tin and ranging westward, is peculiarly
adapted to the rearing of goats, and the
climate ia almost the same as that of
the home of the Angora. These noun
tsins abound with rocky cliffs snd are
covered with various kinds Of shrub
berry, eYergreens and glasses, on which
the goat can thrive and keep fat in
winter, as well as in summer. The lands
are well adapted for the goat and are the
cheapest class of lands IN Texss and
can be bought from 90 cents t. 81 per
acre. There are several parties who
have gone into this enterprise of late,
among whom Fred Staring s. Bro
were awarded the first premium on the
best flock of Angora goats at our last
Capital State Fair, and who have the
largest fl )ck of these beautiful animals
in this vicinity. They have been in
this business for two years, and, as we
have been informed by Mr. Fred Ster-
zing, they have met with every sue
cess that could have been anticipated
from the beginning. They are indus
trious and eDterprising, and in few
years will realize large profits out of
their investment. The AOgOra hybred-
ICES readily with the native American
goat. In three crosses with the full
blood Ang ora buck q flee3e-bearing
animal can be produced from the COM
mon goat, and by continuing the fifth
or sixth cross all visible characteristics
or features of the native or common
are oblltersted, and it is impossible TO
distinguish the full-blood (fft,l or
sixth CROSSE from the pure Angors.
There should be more attention
given to the raising of these
valuable animals on account of
their intrinsic value, in the economy of
their anomalous means of subsistence
not possessed by any other domestic
animal. The Angors goat will live
and thrive where sheep or other ami
mails will starve; they are more hardy
than any other animal, and require
less care; and when left to free
choice of food, browse on bfiars, bush
es, moss, and all kinds of under
growth, and will reject the richest
grass to crafty their eccentric taste.
The hills and mountains Astounding III
ton, is the true home of the Angora
goat, where they can be kept In per-
feet domesticstion by occasionally
sailing, and will annually return to
their owner handsome profit, with
out any expenditure of labor except
the clipping of their fleece in spring.
The Angora goat obtains It's value
mainly from its white, silken ringlets
of "mohsir," and if not sooner sheared
they will shed their fleece in March or
April of each year. Their winter
coating then grows slowly until about
July, when the mohair again starts and
grows very rapidly. The Angora lives
to greater age than sheep, often at
tsining from ten to fifteen years, ard
are more prolific. Their flesh is also
very valuable, fully equal In juiciness,
texture and delicacy TO the best mutton.
The milk is highly esteemed for domes-
tic use and the sick room, and when
the goat begins to decline by reason of
old age it can be killed for its meat and
tallow, and the skin will be worth from
$50 to $40 each. A goat will pro-
duce from eight to ten pounds of tai
low when in good condition. Taken
altogether, the Angors goat may be re-
gsrded as valuable acquisition to the
resources of our husbandry in this
State. The great hardness and beauty
of the animal, its almost entire free
dom from disease, its self-sustainiDg
qualities and the rspidity with which
it multIples itself and grows, must
make it universal favorite. For
many years the entire product of
mohsir in the United States was
taken for expectation to Eu-
rope. In the last few years
mills have been established in New
York, Massachusetts, Pennsy lvania,
Ohio and California, with machinery
suited to the conversion of mobair in
to textile goods. Mohair, in the New
Yo and Boston markets, is worth
fro 90 cents to 81 per pound, rang
ing, for first, second and third crosses,
from 90 cents to so cents, and for
fourth, fifth and sixth crosses, or full
blood Augnrss, depending on length,
lustre and fneness, from so cents to 81
per pound. Angoras will yield from
four 10 eight pounds OF mohair per clip.
An important feature in rearing Ango-
ras is their entire freedom from the NAL
aides and contagious diseases that
prove 40 disastrous, at times, to sheep.
They are Observation-Disclosures to inflam-
nation of the foot, resulting from
elongation of the hoof, which is easily
cured, and can be prevented by trim
ming it 10 its proper size. 1t, however,
seldom proves fatal. The breeding OF
this animal is In it's infancy in the
United States, California being in adj
vance, where the interest is proving
highly profitable from the sale of mo-
hair, and there is no doubt but what,
in few years, all that mountainous
region in Western Texas will be util-
lied for this profitable business.
MARRIED.-On Thursday, at 8,
O'Clock, Mr.. j. T. MILLER, of Macon,
Georgia, and Miss ETA WALLACE,
daughter of Prof. William Wallace,
formerly Of Memphis, Tennessee,
but now of Austin, Rev. Mr.. Lee off