Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-05-01


were selected from the herds of An
CORA, district of country lying among
the Taurus mountains. which trav-
erse Asiatic Turkey. and which de-
rives it's name from its principal city,
situated about 200 miles east of Con-
stantino> :" 1t does not seem. there
fore, that DR.. Davis encountered any
great difficulty in securing this firstim-
portation of Angora goats into this
country.
"Of the nine Angoras imported by
DR.. Davis. seven were does and two
were bucks. Besides these. according
to Col. Peters, there came in the same
lot one pure-bred Thibet doe. several
head of crosses between the Angora
and Thibet goats. and quite a number
of grade does bred from the common
short-haired ewes of the country and
his Angora bucks.
"The soft undercoat of the Cash
mere is known as 'pashum.' and is the
product from which the famous Cash
mere shawl was made. Mr.. VIM. M.
Landrum, who was probably the first
in this country to discover that our
so-called Cashmere goat was the An.
CORA instead. through investigation
made about 1861, also states that there
is a difference between the Cashmere
shawl and the Paisley shawl. These
are often referred to as being the
same shawl. While the filling of both
shawls was of pashum, the chain ofthe
latter was made from the kid fleece
of the Angora. Pashim is combed
i out in the spring. and is worth. when
cleaned, in the country where 1t is
produced, from s1.50 to 81 per round:
fT a large. class OF people IN some
way have. become possessed of the
that the goat is practically a
useless animal. They do not reach
conclusions upon Investigations. how
ever, and do not discriminate between
the different breeds. To them goat
is a goat and there the argument
ends. Investigations prove that the
Angora goats are not only classed
among the most useful of the domestic
animals, and have been so classed for
thousands of years. but their useful
ness is manifested in variety Of
ways. The fleece. called 'mohair.' fur
nishes some of the finest Of fabrics
among ladies' goods and is used in
various other manufactures; their
habit of browsing enables the farmer
in wooded locality to use them to
help in subjugating the forest; their
flesh is exceedingly delicate and nutri-
tious; the milk, though not so abun-
dant as with the mich breed of goats,
is richer than cows milk; their tanned
skins, though inferior in quality to the
skins of the common goat, are used
for leather; their pelts make the neat
est of rugs and robes; they are excel
lent pets for children; few Of them in
a flock of sheep are protection from
wolves and dogs; their manure is no.
ticeably helpful to the grass which
follows them after they have cleaned
away the underbrush. These are all
vital subjects of varying degrees of i'm
portance. and will be considered here
under appropriate heads.
"In those localities where valuable
land is completely subdued by brush
the goats are considered of more value
for the purpose of clearing it than for
their mohair or meat. They thus be-
come one Of the farmers important
tools. Their value in this respect must
be measured by the value of the land
which they will render cultivable. 1t
is said that in Oregon, where China
men had been paid as high as $40 an
acre for clearing off brush goats had
done the work even better. Sprouts
will spring up behind mems work. but
goats will keep them own until they
cease to appear. True, the goats re-
quire more time than men. but their
work is better.
"One of the first questions to be
considered by man who is about to
embark in stock raising of any kind
is the markets for his surplus. This
question is first because it is the prin-
cipal one and all i'm mportant. The one
who proposes to begin with flock of
thoroughbred or high.grade Angoras,
such as will yield merchantable mo-
hair, will not need to consider mar,
kets, as the increase will be employed
to produce mohair; but large mum.
Der of focks 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 a
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 flock. there must
be a market for the meat.
"The reason goats are not seer
oftener in the market reports Of re
ceipts and shipments is that they pass
as sheep. 1t is stated. however. thai
increasing numbers are seen in the
larger markets. IN the Union stoci
yards of Chicago as many as 5000 were
received in ono week last year. While
the goats pass as sheep, they are alse
sold to consumers as sheep. The diff
ference is very slight in some places
In Kansas City, for instance, the sheer
bring about one-half a cent per pound
more than goats The packers bu!