Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1899-07-06
GOAT RAISING.

Chicago physician, who discovered
that the goat is a c%avorting store,
house OF rejuvenatory lymph, the
Agricultural Department puts in
a plea for better and. more wide
spread appreciation of goat-rais-
ing for the cold cash that is in it.
In other words, the department
devotes a pamphlet to the goat,
and the lack of recognition of his
possibilities as a factor in increas-
ing the agricultural wealth Of the
country.
According to this pamphlet, the
goat population of the United
States is only about 500, 600, and
most of these roam the State of
Texas. But the goat-raising in-
dustry is pursued on a limited
scale in various other parts of the
country, and all the information
touching it gathered by the de-
partment goes to prove that every
where it is engaged in, it is a
source of decided profit, and is
capable of being made still more
profitable. The first item of profit.
we are told, is the skin, which
brings on the New York market
in the dry state, 40 cents per
pound, and which is in great de-
mand, as the heavy importations of
skins show. But the Angora goats
and their crosses are also bred for
their feeces, which command
good prices, and besides, their
flesh is excellent eating. and
they are fine milksproducers.
Again it is in evidence that it
costs practically nothing to feed
fCcks of goats, and that they are
valuable agencies in e%nriching
the ground over which they
browse, and in rendering it sus-
ceptible to cultivation. AS a
matter of interest to our farmers,
especially those of them who own
poor mountain lands. which
lands m said to be especially
adapted for goat ranges, we give
extracts from specimen letters
on experience in goat-raising,
received by the department.. One
letter says:
"Whatever foulland is regular
ly pastured by these animals for
a few years becomes clean, wood
less, and bushless, and usually,
being evenly fortified by them
also. runs into nutritious native
grasses"
An Iowa farmer writes:
"To a person who has never
seen the results Of the presence
of Angoras on brush lands, a
ride through my bluegrass pasts
ures is a revelation. Where three
years ago the ground was dense
ly covered with underground of
hazel, crabtree. oak, blackberry
and other brush, it is now grow.
ing the finest blue grass. I have
over 600 acres which have been
reclaimed. and the value of the
land has been enhanced at least
$40 an acre."
A South Carolina man has this
to say:
Even here, seventy-fve miles
from the mountains, I have for
six years grown most success
the Angora goat whuseI
flesh I regard as superior to any
mutton and whose fleece proper
ly handled, could there Tin the
Blue Ridge Mountain region) be
made more profitable than any
woolgrowing. This I can say
from actual careful experience.
from their flesh and wool
there is another advantage they
offer. which in the mountains be-
yond would be most valuable, In
cross I have made with a pure
Angora, and a Maltese eve goat
have raised a eve goat that
will give four quarts per day of
rs good milk as any COW on my
plantation. The feed of one COW
will keep twelve goats. Ny COWS
must have certain food, or they
will not thrive. My goats will
saS anything almost, and do well
and with this advantage, also.
that their milk aud butter are
not in any way affected by their
A Missouri goat-breeder testi-
les that his flock grazss upon
herbs that are not eaten
by any other stock, such as iron
we'd, dock. mullen, briars, buds,
md broken sprouts A Kens
,uckian states that his eighty
Angoras five on weeds, bushes,