Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-06-18
FORTUNE A car FARM.
twenty Thousand Dollars Paid for Choic'
Nff Household Pets.

A farm! This will certainly
strike lat people as Il novel industry.
Few. probably. are aware that such
an establishment is In successful opera
tion In one Of the suburbs OF Boston,
and is paying large dividends to those
Interested in the venture. IL bears
tho ouphonious title Of Walnut Ridge
Farm.
Owing to the growing demand. the
Walnut Ridge establishment has its
hands full In supplying the ordors
which pour in every day, and tho
breeding of the animal promises TO be-
come general. Exactly l, $50 cats OF
various ages were shipped from this
place last year, declares tho Washing
ton Star statistician, an average OF
nearly 100 month, or more than three
tlav. Tho amount received from the
consignments footed mp nearly $40, 900,
and this year the business is expected
to increase at least GO per cent. just
as other fade, fashions change in re-
gard to breed of cats, and Angoras are
now the rage. This variety, being
comparatively rare, has attained cor
respondingly high position In the esteem
Of those abo TO afford such luxuries;
society demands thoroughbred animals.
This country has been IA little back
ward in introducing the Angora, and
! until recently they have not been with
in the reach of the public. Not only
was the cost Of importing them very
considerable. but the risk incurred In
bringing the animal to this climate
was great, But now they have become
very hardy here. 1t is said that theit
| hnir grows longer ana ia much brighter,
| and that in every way the American
4 Angora is "a superlative animal.
The Angora cat, as it's name indi-
Gates, comes from Angura, in Western
! Asia-a province which is also cele.
brated for its long haired goat. This
breed i5 in high favor with the Turks
and Armenians, the best commanding
a great price. The prime points OF
excellence are small head with nose
not too long; large. full eyes of color
in harmony with that OF its fur; ears
rather large and pointed, with tuft OF
hair at the apex-the size not showing,
as they are deeply set in the long hair
on the forehead; very full flowing
name about the he; and mock. This
latter should not short; neither
should the body, which should be
graceful and elegant, and covered with
silky hair with slight mixture OF
wooliuess in this it differs from tho
| 1tEHlhn cut III ttAIuTb tHt uhlT bHbulh
be as fine as possible. and not so woolly
as that of the Russian cat; tho legs of
moderate length; the tail long, curving
upward slightly toward the end, the
hair very long at the base and less
toward the tip. The colors of these
cats are quite varied, a pure white,
with blue eyes, being regarded as per-
feution.
! Angora cats are very playful and
|. make delightful pets, as they are very
Intelligent. There is something sur
! prisingly aristocratic and imposing in
their appearance. In feeding the kit
tens particular attention must be given
? to have the food clean and wholesome |;
warm milk and oatmeal iH what should
be givon principally, though cats can
. be fed ON most anything that is good.
OF the Angora cat there are more
than eight varieties; solid black, solid
. yellow, solid gray, solid white, black
2 and white. yellow and white, maltese,
: 4 tortoise shell and various mixed colors
: : indeed, prettily marked mixed ones
\ seem to be in the greatest den "Nd
= Tho prices vary, ranging as fu'
. The best full grown, male or Il g.
!. $40 to $25; second, S5 to $40; XII
8 to $40 each, either sex. The solid
y ors are much more expensive than
. mixed, yet many prefer the latter.
Half of the Angoras raised now arc
y not strictly thoroughbreds there are
y scarcely 20 breeders in this country
y who havo the fine imported stock tc
= raise kittens from.
y However, it must not DO supposed
~ that Angoras alone have the call on
public favor. The Persian cat is alsC
very popular. 1t differs from the An
CORA chiefly in that its tail is larger
y and the hair fuller and coarser at tht
end. The eyes should no large, full
in and round, with a soft EXPRESSION
~ The Persian is longer in body than thu
Angora, and apparently more strongl,
N made; yet slender and elegant, and ex
~ = ceedingly graceful in all its movements
- The colors comprise almost every tin
,n obtainable in cats.
nsr Another popular variety is the Rus
~ sian. The principal characteristics ar
y the unusually large body and relativel,
-. ahort legs. It's habits are peculiar
~ and not at all like the common shor
st logged cat. The Iabby cat is chief
~ remarkable on account of tho variet
IN of colors in its coat The name tab
- by' has reference to its peculiar mark
hc ings being derived from word mean
40 ing ribbed silk. The Abyssinian ca
No is included in the tabhy variety.
- il believed that this breed is identica
bv with tho Egyptian cat, which wa
y worshipped so many centuries ago. an
,st the mummies of which arc so numerous
/; The ManX cat is curious creature
~ II lacks that appenuage which enable
la lite brothers TO alight upon their fee
~ no matter from what distance they ma
ar be dropped. In other words,, it has II
cy tail-the best breeds none at all, an
ds even the leas aristocratic not enough
~ measure off an inch on the tape line
The creature runs more like thar
,sa than cat.