New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-30
RAISING ANGORA GOATS.
GROWTH OF NEW INDUSTRY IN MIS-
SOURI-PROFITS ARISING FROM 1T.

The Angora goat is to be a part of the farm life
and income the farn--r in Missouri in the future.
Just the extent of this industry remains to be seem
for it is comparatively in its infancy. Within the
last two years the number of Angora goats In Mis-
souri, has doubled and a company of st. Louis cap
itaIists has just reopened the Angora goat boom
by the purchase of fifty thousand, which 1t is
placing eight thousand acre ranch near the
town of Cuba. Soon the traveller through the
Ozark region may expect find thousands of these
white and woolly animals clambering over the
rocky hlsides and dtsporting themselves in the
wide sweep of valleys that lie between the ranges
There are at present twenty thousand Angora
goats In the State and most of these are found In
the Ozark region. A great deal OF this hllly lahu
is unfit for the pasturing of cattle and 1t makes
fine field for the Angora. This little four footed
animal takes delight in living on shrubbery and
underground such the ordinary steer would
sniff over in dsdan. In this way the goat not
only lives upon vegetation that other stock pass
over, but he acts a forerunner of the axeman,
clearing the forest increasing the price of land
in Missouri.
Most of the goats in Missouri at present on
ranches in Pulaski fancy. Stone, Ozark and
Greene countless with the high hills for their haoi-
tat and broad of timber land for their brows-
ing Here they thrive and multiply making money
for the who own them. In Greene County
Springfield is a heard of 1880 Angoras belong
Ing to George A. Ramsey and F. D. Oughterbaush.
In fancy County +. II. Gross owns 500 The St
Louis Goat Company has purchased between $4,000
and so OOO-its buyer still being in MeNico-and
these be located in Cuba. A number OF
farmers own small herds, while there are several
other ranches equally large the one near
Springfield. There Is great profit to be realized IN
goat industry. The climate of Missouri is SINH
lar to that of Turkey, from whence came the oris-
nal Angora; the rolling country and steep oluHs
afford him q reminder of his native heath and that
is why the little woolly animals do SO well in the
Ozark country 1t IS like home to them Goat
breeders and raisers have found principal OBJ
lection goat raising In the United States-that
the animals take cold so easily and die so rapidly
when a disease strikes the herd. With the growth
of the Angora goat industry in Missouri there have
been few fatalities among tho goat kind and the
climate seems to agree with them entirely
AnEoras can be purchased at the average rate OF
81 apiece. The flesh of the Angora is esteemed as
food 1t sells readily at beef and pork prices The
Of the Angora tastes like venison and is even
superior TO muttol 1t IS sold both in St Louis and
Kansas City. and a slaughter house for goats IL
soon to be established in Kansas City There Is
also a good market for goats milk, the supply
being inadequate IN St. Louis. where goat dairy
has gained a reputation among mothers as furnish
ing stimulating food for themselves and their
babies. goats milk dairy also exists in Kansas
City.
So it may be seen that the Angora is far different
from the ordinary backyard billy or nanny that
thrives upon trash and tin cans. From six to ten
pounds Of long fire silken hair furnished every
April by each goat. and this readily sells for the
manufacture of cloth. This hair sells for from -
to 50 pound, according To the quality OF the
strands. Those Missouri farmers who have had eX-
perieuce say there is a clear profit OF . cents
pound in the hair, The hides Of the Angora sell
for from Sc to $. With an annual income OF from
3 TO 81 for the wool from each AuEora. and his
FIRST being only S. il does not require many
years reap rich reward from the investment
In goats. The cost OF keeping them is little
Shelter is a more necessary adjunct TO the aver
age Angorf goat ranch than is food or good past
ure land. The hills and caves in the Ozark region
afford excellent natural shelter. But sheds must
be provided for every goat ranch The Augora
catches cold easily. and knows This better
than the little animal himself. If the weather IS
damp he does not venture from the fold even to the
feeding pen All food must be carried TO him dur
ing either a rain snow storm.
The goats must have rough hard ground in
Guided I'm their pasture, for climbing them is as
necessary eating. II their hoofs are not kept
worn down by climbing they grow so long the goat
cannot walk. The rouEher the surface the better
they like it. and that is one reason why the Ozark
region Is to their liking. Land in these billy re-
Eions be bought for low 81 - acre,
and It makes fine pasture for the Augors hocks.
In stocking the ranch il is regarded as wen 10
buy the best breed, which about $50 for
twelve. These used for breeding purposes and
are more expensive than the regular wool pro-
duccrs The nanny goats furnish ample supply
of milk To feed the young ana after the kids have
been weaued goat ranchers ofttimcs live upon the
milk. as they 10 on cows milk goat will pay
for himself and the land In less than five years.
and then if one should wish to quit the industry
by the sale of the skins he would realize profit.
The goat raising industry is In it's infancy the
United States for the reason that the United States
sends away $35C10O00 every year for goat skins
kid leather which means the slaughter of millions
of goats and kids. The United States has only
about 100000 goats and If the billy regions were
turned into goat ranches the number could soon b.
multiplied ten or twenty fold and much of this
money kept at nome rms Is luSt what the Mis-
souri, farmer is beginning to do. With the advent
will be one of the leading goat raising States in the
Union. Texas is the only State that has more. her
5000, New Mexico has $1,000. Oregon has 10000.
'' ~ w 80 C Sot'''nB anu MI
has few, the ranches invariably being confined to
\ first census of goats in Missouri in 1898 showed
there 1890 in 1900 there 10 600 while this
With the advent OF the nifty thousand Missouri Will
jump to second place in the Union field for
Angoras We're first brought to America in lsis by
DR.. James Il. Davis. of South Carolina. DR.. Davis.
the request of the Sultan of Turkey visited that
country and taught the people there how to raise
nine of the royal Angoras from the royal herd and
sent them to the doctors plantation in South caro-
lima This is the nucleus from which sprang the
hocks of the present time. But the United states
I,olls uI tne world MtXico mas million AngoraS.
Germany has three millions, Spain has five mill
and Italy each have one million, while Turkey has
SIX T million 40it or seven coats to every person.
recently had men in the Ozark country looking
government Angora goat experiment station can
tain Almont Barnes, of the government service.
goat raising in which he strongly urged the farm
ers of Missouri 70 begin the raising of Angoras
a wonderfully profitable field for those who begin
the work.
OHIO COMPANY OF ASSOCIATES.
Albany. Nov. 2s-The Ohio Company Of Asso-
ciates was Incorporated to-day by Whitelaw Reid