The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-08-31
Sarm, @aroe" 3 Aonset0Io.
THE ANGORA GOAT.

Hon.. A. p. Butter, Commissioner
.Agriculture:
DEAR SR-In compliance with
your request, I send you the follow
ing crude thoughts on the subject
OF. the ,Angora goat as factor In
South Carolina farming.
Is.has been one of the studies : :
nv life how we can the most ei1ec
tually and economically recuperate
the worn out LANDS of South Caro-
lima; and for years it has been my
settled conviction that it is to be
done by sheep, each farmer keep
ing on his farm sheep enough to
utilize the waste places, old fields
and wood land but to do this sue
cessfully, the sheep must be pro-
tected from dogs, so that the small
farmer, who cant afford the help
nor spare the time himself to look
after the sheep, can leave them to
craze at will and to rest where they
choose. And when left to choose
for themselves they almost in
. :variably select the most barren
place in the field, which they will
soon enrich and restore to fertility.
But there is such a morbid pro-
pensity in all dogs, without an ex-
ception as to race, so far as know,
to worry and kill sheep that but few
farmers can be induced to raise
sheep in this State; and this will
be the case until the case until the
farming interest is represented by
men who are entirely Identified
with it, and who have the courage
to face ridicule in the Legislature
and the cur at home, for there are
few things that the average legis-
lator breads more than a cur with
ayoter behind him. I speak from
experience upon this delicate sub.
ject; for I labored for four years in
the Legislature, in season and out
of season, as an individual, and as
Chairman of the Committee on Agri-
culture made the only speech of my
Iife, urging the Legislature to do
something to encourage sheep hus-
5andry, without avail. And the dog
stands TO- day, before the law, higher
than all other creatures. This be-
ing the situation, what can we do to
remedy the dilemma ? for we must
have stock or we can't make ma.
nure. There is very little profit in
raising horses, COWS and hogs
their feed is too expensive for
them to be kept for making ma
nure. Ny experience is, that the
Angora goat comes nearer filing
the place than any known animal
in some respects they are to be
preferred to the sheep. In the
first place a dog has but little in
clination to meddle with the goat.
I;never had one injured by dog,
unless the dog had been set on by
some person. They are remarka-
ably healthy and prolific, mature
early, begin to breed at one year
old; are about prolific as sheep, and
yield a valuable fleece; their flesh
is equal to venison, mutton, beef
or pig; they weigh about as much
as sheep, and consume about as
much food; their manure is very
much like and quite as good as the
sheep. They had rather browse
than eating bushes, briars,
weeds, and sometimes grass hence
do we'll on the same pasture with
sheep without interfering with each
others food, as the sheep confne
themselves almost entirely to grass.
They should supplement, and not
supplaDt, the sheep. They are
careful nurses, and return at night
to their quarters with gr6at regu-
larity-thus saving the trouble Of
going for them and when well
fenced, give less trouble than any
stock have ever raised; but unless
they are surrounded by a good
fence, they become very trouble
some, which is the only drawback
on them. A good ten-rail, we'll put
up, fence will keep them in bounds
which every one ought to have.
They are, in appearance, much
handsomer than the common goat,
are very stylish and graceful in
their movements, and appear to be
covered with ringlets Of silk. Their
fleeces are the mohair OF commerce,
and is extensively used as g substi-