The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-16
PROFITABLE GOATS IN AFRICA.

one OF tba most lucrative industries In
the Karoo districts of South Africa Is An
CORA goat farming, ani although 10 mas
been established for less than 40 years.
the Capo bids f0ir Co become the most I'M
portant contre OF mohair prod In the
world. The early attempts TO import the
goat from Angora wcre attended with
great loss OF money ana great disappoint-
mont nearly all the goats dying on the
way TO the Cape or very soon after ianu-
ing in fact OF the early importatlons Only
very small number survived. But In
1879 large importation was successfully
made by three different firms or iDdiNid-
uals who landed large number of pure
bred Angora goats at Port Elizabeth,
where they were sold at from 100 pounds
To 400 pounds apiece. Soon after that the
importation Of Ansora goats from Turkey
was prohibited for time. hut in 1894 Mr.
Rhodes obtained the relaxation OF this
prohibition. Early in 1898 shipment oi
2UO ADgora goats. after boing quaran-
tined. was sold at Port Elizabeth at an
average Of 90 pounds apiece, some OF the
rams selling for as much "a 300 pounds
each. At present there are somewhere
about 4, ,OOG 600 Angora goats In the col
ony.
The Angora in the colony is not now
puro-bred; the original imported rams
were crossed with carefully selected pure
white Boer goat ewes, and from the sue
ceeding in breeding the present ilocks
have sprung, and q fine, glossy, silky
fleece secured. Indeed IL is accepted
that the mohair can now be produced in
Cape Colony as perfect in quality ana
as beautiful in lustro as any produced IN
Angora itself.
Tho goat itself Is pretty looking little
animal, looking. with its long, white.
wayy fleece. more like a sheep than
goat The beard, too, so characteristic OF
tho goat, Is almost hidden in the long
hair about the neck and face. The head
ls small and narrow, with dropping or
lop ehrs. Horns-liRht in color tnttened.
twisted slightly and spreading outward
are possessed by both rams and ewes,
though they are smaller in the latter.
The small body is thiokly covered
with beautiful long fleece of white, lus-
trous wavy, silky hair which in we'll
bred goats nearly reaches the ground;
and, in addition Co this long hnir, there
Is an inferior under coat of HAIR, or
second coat, which has It's own separate
market value
Tho Karoo and higher lands Of the
colony are the places where the Angora
ilourishes best Almost every farmer in
karoo has his flock OF Angoras, some
several flocks of several hundred in each.
Every morning the flocks are driven out
of kraas or sheltered enclosures into the
veldt where they are allowed To wander
and Craze all day. but Mt night trey are
driven back To tba shelter OF the kraai
altar being taken to tho dam TO be
watored.
AnRoras are sheared about June, when
good fleece Will average from five 20
SIX pounds in weight, with hair from five
10 SIX inchss long. About Novem ber the
goats tend TO shed their hair, but rather
than loso it the farmer again shears in
October. After shearinR. the wool is
packed into large bales, which are fasteD-
ed securely with iron bands IL is then
exported TO England for manufacture.
large part going to Yorkshire. In 1896
mohair To the value of 7l0, S67 pounds was
exported, and at the present time one
tenth OF the total British supply is
received from the Cape.
Among the most dreaded enemies OF the
timid little Angora are the jackal, the
red lynx and the balloon; the two former
Kill the kids for their flesh, but the
balloons zip open the udders of the ewes in
search c. milk, and even open the stomach
Of tho kids for the sake of the curdled
milk they may obtain. II e first two an
imals are poisoned and hunted down with
dogs where possible, and u keep down
the baboon shooting parties are frequently
organized. BY way of -encoura Qing tho
extinction Of those peats The government
pays three shillinps n tail for jaokals and
one shilling q tail for baboons. Black
and White