Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-05-08

such as will yield merchantable mo-
hair, will not need to consider mar
bets, as the increase will be employed
to produce mohair; but large num-
Der of flocks will be built up in the
future, as they have been in the past,
by the use of does of the common
breed. 1t will be ascertained that the
fleece of low grades is barely worth
the cost of clipping it; that the skin
is not so valuable for leather as that
of the common goat; and that. as
rug or robe. the pelts are not so val
liable as those of the higher grades.
Therefore, if there is to be any profit
from this part of a flock. there must
be market for the meat.
"The reason goats are not seen
oftener in the market reports of re-
ceipts and shipments is that they pass
as sheep. 1t is stated. however. that
increasing numbers are seen in the
larger markets. In the Union stock
yards of Chicago as many as 5000 were
received in one week last year While
the goats pass as sheep, they are also
sold to consumers as sheep. The diff
ference is very slight in some places.
In Kansas City, for instance, the sheep
bring about one-half cent per pound
more than goats. The packers buy
them as goats and sell them as sheep
in the form of dressed meat or
canned"
In one week recently 5000 goats
were received at the Union stock
yards in Chicago. They were slaugh-
tered and sold. and yet no butcher
bought anything but sheep" and no
housewife served anything at dinner
but lamb or mutton.
The agricultural department wrote
to many goat raisers and asked them
if they had any difficulty at all in
selling goats for food No joke for
which Billy was ever the butt had
more genuine humor than had this eX-
tract from letter written in answer
to the question by Thomas H. Mastin
of Kansas City:
"You ask if l have any difficulty in
disposing of goats for meat None at
all. The packers buy goats as well
as sheep. They make a difference of
about half cent q pound in favor of
sheep when buying, and as they never
sell goats they save that difference in
selling"
The governments goat expert de-
clares that goat meat is much better
food than mutton. and that nothing
except the prejudice against the goat
born of the paragraphers' Jokes pre-
vents there being a demand for goats
flesh as food and willingness to pay
higher price for it than for mutton.
If this publication of Uncle Sam,
which really should be called "In
Praise of the Goat" is widely read and
believed in there doubtless will soon
be an extraordinary demand for goat
flesh and no one need yearn in vain
at any time of the year for a bit of
venison. 1t is the opinion of half a
dozen goat authorities quoted that
Billys flesh. when Billy is properly
fed, cannot be distinguished from ven
ison. In fact, some of the enthusiasts
say that goat is gamier and better.
than deer, provided the animal gets
its entire subsistence by browsing.
One correspondent of the agricul-
tural department living in New Mexico
tells OF certain ST. Louis community
which ate Angora "venison" and
never knew that it was killed by the
knife of a butcher instead of by a rife
ball of the hunter.
Another correspondent tells of
woman who kept clearinghouse in
the country for summer sojourners
from New York. and who fed them
regularly twice a week on goat meat
and was complimented by her board
ers on the prime quality of her NUT
ton.
One Texas enthusiast says "Any-
body who has ever tasted a roasted
or barbecued piece of Angora mutton
will find it better than any meat he
ever before ate"
Still another goat advocate says
that the flesh is so percent better than
mutton, and yet it sells to the butchers
for less money. So much for preju-
dice.
In view of these encomiums it is not
so hard to forgive ones butcher for
delivering an occasional bit of Billy in
lieu of a ram.