The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-07-01
The anrorn eannt.


lands admirably adapted to the raising
of this thrifty, valuable little animal,
and there is no kind of stock that
would yield a greater income to the
raiser than The Angora goat, not even
excepting sheep. Where the latter
animal could not exist, the goat will
Keep fat and thrive; and unlike sheep
they are heirs to no disease They are
equally as hardy as the common, Mex
lean goat, cost no more to care for
them, and are worth in round figures
ten times as much. They can be herd
ed in droves of from one to two thou
sand, and one man or half-grown boy
can handle such number with all
ease. Grass is not essential for their
maintenance; in fact they care but
little for it, but feed principally upon
bushes and shrubbery of all kinds. In
southwestern Texas, where wool-grow-
ing has become almost the principal
industry, there are a few who are dis
posing Of their sheep and who will
devote their attention wholly to the
Angora goat. Some have already done
so, and have not been disappointed in
their calculations. The mohair of this
little animal commands a ready sale at
from sixty to seventy five cents per
pound. A fuI-grown weather goat,
say from fifteen months to two years
old will shear from one and a half to
two pounds of hair annually. The
mohair attains its full growth in Feb
ruary, usually, and we have seen it
taken from only three-quarter bloods
fully ten inches in length. The com
mon, Mexican mamie goat can be pur-
chased for from one dollar to one-ffty
per head; the fuIi-blooded Angora
billies are worth from $25 to $50 each.
1t requires but one billie to fifty nan
MES, and the third or fourth cross pro-
duces an animal hard to distinguish
from the full-blooded ones. Some who
are engaged in the business breed
twice a year, though it is probably the
safer plan to calculate only on three
times in two years. There is no species
of meat more wholesome and sweet
than that of a young, fat goat. Many
esteem it superior to beef or mutton;
and in truth it is. The skin of a full
grown Angora weather, when the hair
has attained its growth, and the same
has been nicely dressed, is worth in
the North from four to six dollars, and
we have known them to bring in New
York City as high as $40. They have
been estimated by some as worth from
six to ten dollars; but as a rule we be-
lieve this estimate too high, and place
it at four to six dollars in order to be
on the safe. side. This is no fancy
sketch, nor are these figures mere
guess work, but facts, susceptible of |
the proof if any Of our readers care to
test them. That the Angora goat can
be successfully raised in southwestern |
Louisiana, we haven't the slightest |
doubt; and that they would pay a |
larger profit on the money invested, |
than any other kind of stock, we have |
equally as little doubt. Say for in
stance, you owned a thousand head,
that they had cost you two dollars
The cost of herder,
say $35 per month, $40 a year; the
goats yield you only dollar per head
and you can see how near
you would come to paying for the
animals in one years shearing. 1t
would require, of course, about three
years to breed them up to this stand
ard, but in the meantime enough can
be killed, without decreasing your
herd to any great extent, to more than
pay for the cost of running them. This
country has many advantages over por-
lions of Texas where men are growing
rich raising Angoras, and we repeat
that there is unoccupied land enough
N this parish to sustain thousands
1pon thousands of these animals. 1t
would be a great source of wealth toll
he parish. Who will try the expert
nent2
"A few more of those ffty-cent
coats can be had at A. Ii. Moss.
The ECsIo is IL raoa;pt IF a la4+ar