The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-01-21
The Angoria Goat.


time, it might not be uninteresting to dis
cuss the description. habits, etc, of this
valuable animal In 1S49 DR.. James y.
Davis, Of South Carolina, brought home
with him as a gift from the Sultan Of
Turkey nine Ahgora goats the first of
these animals ever imported to this coun-
try. These goats were all purchased,
with one or two exceptions, by Col. Rich
ard Peters, of Atlanta, Ga, from Davis
in 1853 Later on Col. Peters imported
others and undertook to breed them on a
more extensive scale. but they did not
prove satisfactory, yet this effort on the
part of Col Peters gave to him the repu-
tation of being the pioneer in Angora
goat industry in this country. But from
the small beginning in 1858 the industry
has been built UP until there are now
thousands of these animals in many
parts of the Southwestern States. Large
numbers of them have been recently
been taken into Missouri and Iowa, where
they will be bred quite extensively on
ranches stocked with them, and the in
dustry may now be said to have become
prominent one.
The Angora goat. first discovered in the
province of Angora,e Turkey, has been
crossed with other breeds of goats for
different purposes until at this~time it is
exceedingly doubtful if there is in any
part of the world a pure Angora, as the
animal originally existed. The original
Angora was quite small with dazzling
white fleece, and the animals were so
delicate as to render them Improbable;
therefore they We're crossed in Turkey
with common goats to produce a more
hardy strain yet not SO extensively as to
seriously impair the color. texture or
value of the mohair or fleece. The Am
eriean Angora of the best breeds should
show size and strength equal to that of
the common goat with a good covering of
hne, silky mohair. and among the best
specimens the mohair tuft on the fore
head should be we'll developed. The mo-
hair should hang in long curly ringlets
over the entire body except on the face
and from the hooks of the legs down.
Aside from the high value of the animal
from its clipping of mohair, the animal
is much priced for its food, and it re-
quires an expert to detect the difference
in the taste of the flesh from that of the
the animal possesses a double value, the
same as sheep. The annual clipping runs
all the way from two to ten pounds of
mohair per animal the amount deepening
upon age of animal, climate, care, etc.
USES OF THE ANGoRA.
The Angora goat isqa highly useful ami
NAL for many purposes. and is priced for
nv lxbn
dustry. The fleece called "mohair' furn-
ishes some of the finest fabrics among
ladies' dress goods. the flesh is equal to
that of spring lamb, the animal is useful
in clearing woods aud fields of under
brush and weeds. and, their milk is rich
Ell than cows milk Their tanned skins
are used for leather. the pelt makes
beautifully neat rug or robe and the an
imals are excellent pets for children a
few Angora goats kept with flock of
sheep are an absolute protection against
worthless and destructive dogs which are
such menace to sheep breeding in the
South They are of great assistance in
clearing land of underbrush and obnox-
ious weeds. In this respect they will
convert forest OF tanged underground
into useful pasture for stock within
short time, or so kill down the weeds and
bushes on land as to render it's clearing
for cultivation an easy and inexpensive
job by the farmer. On farmer in Iowa
claims that with 10 goats to 40 acres he
has within the past few years converted
800 acres of land that was originally use
less into an elegant grass pasture
Another farmer in Oregon claims that
he now has pasture that maintains 200
head Of sheep which had no grass on it
whatever few years ago hen he turn
ed Angora goats or it. The goats killed
out the brush and grass has taken it's
place. The Angora will thrive or any
kind of brush, briers or weeds, it makes
no particular difference what it is Oak.
cedar, sumac, sassafras hickory, maple,
ash, grapevines, persimmon, briers of all
kinds, elders, sage brush and almost all
weeds. give splendid material for Angoras
to thrive upon. Without such pasturage.
of course, the animals must be fed.
The value of the fleece per pound of
seven eighths bred goats is from 20 to 30
cents per pound. and the clip yielding
about three pounds; pure breds to :
pounds and worth about so cents per
pound. The best plan is to purchase pure
bucks which can be bought at from $50
TO 500 per head and breed up from the
common herd, always selecting perfectly
white females to cross on. A large num-
Der of Angoras are annually sold to the
packing houses where they are slaughter
ed and sold as mutton. In the stock
yards at Chicago in one week last year
there were more than 5000 Angora goats
slaughtered and placed on the market as
mutton.
The business of raising Angora goats
both for mohair and mutton is rapidly
becoming prominent and profitable in
dustry. The South offers a splendid field
for the growth of these animals which
the farmers in Texas are already appre-
eating Georgia and the other States
should also raise them in large numbers
because the demand is always good. and
there is but little fear of raising more
than the country can mt m III