New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-22
THE GOAT.

The goat has not had fair show In modern
| times. Among the ancients he was high'y Us
teemed. and figured extensively In serious h'era-
ture. Now ne Is only the butt OF funny para
graphers, whose acquaintance with MIN ~ con-
fined TO n tradition that he eats tomato cans o"
the Harlem rocks The Children Of Israel and the
heroes Of Homer knew him better. inc on
Testament shows the goat as an essential part
Of the Hebrews fiocks. 1t gave him milk ana
meat for food hair and skins for clothing. and
was his most common sacrifice for SIN En-
camped before the walls OF Troy. Ulysses and his
comrades regaled themselves with the rat goat
roasted quarters and thought themselves spe-
cially blessed OF the gods. But we OF the west
ern World have come to despise the goat az 'he
poor mans cow" useful enough animal for the
mountalneers OF the Alps or the squatter soVer-
eigns Of unsavory suburbs. but an Inferior
creature not worth the notice OF the free-hahdeo
owner Of broad American acres possessed OF
Jerseys Mernos and blooded trotters, and above
the utilization Of brush lot or a stony pasture
Some American farmers, however are coming
IN realize that the goat may be made one OF
their valuable domestic animals, not merely
poyerty- stricken substitute for a COW. but an ad-
dition TO the farm community, filling a place OF
its own and giving a return peculiar 10 Itself
A Missouri farmer writes to an agricultural
paper that he finds goats prohtaoe TOT roush
land filed with weeds and bushes he mas had
them for four years. and they nave destroyed
the bushes sumach and small persimmon trees
His hogs have been free from disease. whiIe MS
neiehbors who did not keep goats. lost most Of
their hogs by cholera He ate the meat OF young
goats and liked It better than mutton. HIS ex-
perence comedies with that OF farmers IN couh-
tries where the goat is extensively raised ana
. Lzt,. nuytrtr In ruclV
to there being comparatively little waste land
but also according to s. II. Pegler, an authority
on the subject because there "the advantages OF
gost-keeping are but imperfectly known and
the American lack of appreciation for goats
NAV be inherited In Ireland. on the contrary.
the number OF goats has increased I'm recent
years or course the goat cannot compete with
the COW as the single mich animal for those
able to keep the COW. but IL has advantages IN
places where the COW cannot be kept, and as an
addition to the profits Of farm. In the first
place, 1t is great instrument for extending
pasture lands. 1t will eat, by preference, ana
thrive upon forest leaves. shrubs and weeds
that no other domestic animal will touch and get
a rough and overgrown field into good condition
for horses and cattle II ~ hardy. and will live
on rough or smooth ground. There Is n preju-
dice against the milk. but one entirely ground
less 1t IL richer than cows milk heavier In
butter. and much heavier in cheese but all ex-
perts declare that 1t has absolutely no different
flavor or taste from that Of the COW. The av-
erage daily yield of wcl-kept goat Is said to
he three pnts, not n large quantity but not an
item 10 be despsed In view OF its richness, the
size of the animal and slight cost OF keeping IT,
Herds Of goats I'm this country would not only
utilize much Of the heritage which now goes to
lut pipht lap teV n
dustries which have not yet been ncclimated here.
Tho manufacture ~ fancy chooses in imitation
u expensive foreign varieties In some cases has
been so successful that the domestic product
sells on its own name and merits In other
cases such az Roquefor the results have not
been satisfactory Methods Of curing account In
part for the failure, but different materials may
have much TO do with IT, Many OF the finest
European cheeses made from goats milk.
while the American attempts to rival them nave
been made with cows milk. There Is nothing
else available In the market III there were.
doubtless creameries making fancy cheese would
arrange TO consume all that could be had and
the goats would prove a source OF wealth both
10 farmer and manufacturer Nor is the goat to
be despised for food by an over-fasidous race.
In the restaurants OF Rome the kid holds an
honored place The elderly members OF the tribe
are inferior to mutton. but the kid properly
prepared is a meat which will bear comparison
with any other. II would be an agreeable varia-
ton OF our regimen The man who makes a
goat grow where grew before should have
credit with him who makes two blades of grass
stand where formerly stood alone. BY all
means let us learn OF the ancents and grow
rich from nOcks OF goats.