Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-18
AN ANGORA.GOAT FARM.
4 Nyack Lady's Venture which Has
Proved Profitable.

Ifoteu frohtuDse.
A Nyack On. " special to the Times
says: Three miles from this village,
near the Hudson river, is an Angora-
goat farm, which from its novelty at
tracts much attention hereabout. Ii is
looked upon as something in the nature
of a farmers freak, like the raising Of
bees or silkworms. Goats browse and
goats prosper on this farm on the heights
that border Rockland lake as readily.
as they do on the rocks about Shanty-
town, in New York city. But they are
a different breed Of goats, more aristo-
cratic than their city relatives as to
wool, mOIe epicurean in their tastes,
and more blue-b.ooded as to ancestry.
The herd in this somewhat novel farm
just now numbers seyenty-hye, varying
in age from the tinyobiect of three
months, which looks like a cross be-
tween a dog. a rabbit, and lsdy's
powder-puf, to the handsome patriarch
Of the flock, a magnificent specimen OF
the pure Angora breed, with immense
curling horns. This handsome old fell
low and bis wife were imported by
DR.. Agnew, the famous oculist Of New
York. from Asia Minor, and the i'm
portstion cost him heap of money as
the price Of goats goes. Their present
owner is the good woman who now
runs this goat farm, and who never tires
Of descantipg upon the good qualities
Of her pets. They know her voice and
answer to their names when she calls
them. Kind and gentle they appear
when visitors are about, but the fond
ness for fighting, as characteristic of
goats as It is Of native Of Tipperary,
crops out when the herd is together and
apparently out Of sight Of mankind.
A strange fact noticed IN the breed
ing Of these animals is that the females
donot thrive in this locality as well as
the males. The hardy female goat of
the ordinary species was introduced
into this flock for experimental breed
ing-purposes, and with marked success.
Repeated crossings with the common
goat and her offspring has produced APP
parenily pure Angora goats, the ten
dency being in all cases for the
Kids to revert in the texture
Of their wool toward the male side.
As consequence the third genera
tion has all the appearance Of its dis
tinguished ancestry, and in the fourth
generation even the best experts cannot
tell the pure-blooded from the grade
Angoras. This fact is matter Of con-
siderable interest to breeders Of goats,
as on Argora buck costs 800 or over,
while the common goat can be had al.
most for the asking. The fecundlty of
the Angora is not so great as that Of the
common goat, the Angora eve giving
birth to but one kid yearly.
Asa source Of profit the goats have
turned out well. The wool is from
four to six inches in length, silky, and
Of beautiful texture. a full-grown
animal will yield four pounds Of wool,
which will readily sell at 5 per pound.
Just now the demand for this wool is
net particularly lively, as the lustrous
dress fabric into which it was at one
time largely converted is out of vogue
with fashionable ladies. 1t is, there
fore, used almost exclusively in the
manufacture Of plush for upholstery
purposes. When the kid is six
months old its hide, undressed, is worth
50, and will sell readily for that amount
to glove. manufacturers. Kids on the
farm in question meet with sudden
death on that account at about that age
with considerable regularity. When it
is necessary to Kill them the good lady
has them chloroiormed so that she may
not hear the death cries of her little
pets. The milk Of the goat is much
sought after by dyspeptics, by persons
suffering from pulmonary troubles, and
by otherwise delicate persons, and it
brings a much greater price than
cows milk. AS to their use for
food little can be said, because the
goat does not rlesh up well, but the
Kid, when killed young, furnishes fair
amount Of tender meat which some
people Ike. 1t will never become a
great delicacy in the market or be in
sufficient demand to become source
of income to the goat-raiser. There is
nothing in the world so cheap to raise
as goats, because they will find ample
food in lots up here where other ami
mails would starye to death. Acorns !
are fayorite article of food with them,
and as these abound in the woods the J
cost for winter fodder is mainly con-
fined to the trouble Of gathering the |
acCins.
Horrible TrFGeGy IA Tennessee.
lNY telePrann 10 the Dlsnatchl