The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1905-10-19
GOATS FOR The POOR
Attempt to Build Up New AMI
NAL Industry.
MALTA SPECIES BEING TESTED
Agricultural Departments Object In
Importing a Flock OF Sixty-eigst rs
to Develop New Farm Animal For
the Poor just as I'm EErope-GoCd
Milk and Flesh Producers.


the Poor just as In EUrope-Gocd
Milk and Flesh Producers.
Behind the announcement that the
Department of agriculture has import
ed from Malta a flock Of sixty eight
goats for experimental purposes lies
the determination to build Up q new
ed States, says the Washington CORE
spondent of the New York Post. The
Malta goat is very different animal
from the Angora goat, which hes been
raised in some parts of the United
States for its fleece The new strain
is remarkable for its milk producing
qualities as well as for its value as a
meat product These two reasons COM
Lnended the breed to the department.
and Secretary Wilson expects to de-
velop it as a new farm animal for the
poor, just as in Europe.
Questions of health are foremost in
Secretary Wilson'S advocacy of the
Malta goat. He said recently: "A fea-
ture of domestic economy generally
overlooked here is given first atten-
ton abroad. The desire in European
cities to get pure milk, free from all
COMMUNICATING germs on the one side
and aduIteration on the other, leads TO
the driving Of goats through the streets
and the milking before the purchasers
eyes Foreigners are aware that the
milk so drawn is healthier than that
from the COW and SO do not object to
the somewhat primitive way Of obtain
ing It. They know at least that it is
not adulterated.
''Then on the point Of freedom from
disease germs. There is but 10 per
country as against 40 per cent abroad.
There is a dispute among scientists as
to whether the bacillus which causes
tuberculosis in animals can spread the
disease to human beings. Our investi-
cations bave convinced the depart
ne1t's scientists that children and
people in an impaired state of health
and they are the ones most likely to
require milk-are affected by using
milk from tuberculous cows. This
fact in itself is sufficient to give great
popularity to the Malta goat when its
record for purity of tactical product be-
comes generally known. The goats
habits and food tend to make him q
healthy farm animal under almost ali
conditions
1.-THE goat must be fed as generously
as a cow if it is to milk we'll. 1t re-
Quires the seeds of leguminous plants.
such as beans and peas, which have
the largest amount of protein, and so
allow the most liberal milking Good
results in the amount of milk produced
come as matter Of usage, Or, more
properly speaking, heredity. For in
stance, in Malta the goat is uniform
~ MIXED, and the result is that it's
progeny are good mixers. This shows
the difference between animals which
merely get fat from careful feeding
and those that give milk.
Ear more varied than that of u
cow is the goats appetite He has a
taste for a wider range of plants and,
moreover, will devour weeds and the
leaves Of trees that the cow would re-
Ject. The goat can thus be most use
full animal in cleaning out fields and
saving the farmer expense of labor
while nurturing itself Abroad there
has been difficulty in keeping the goat
from roaming and getting through
hedges and walls with ease He has a
bad reputation for his constitutional
objection to being confined anywhere.
But with woven wire fences there is
less trouble of that sort in this country,
and this one bad trait is overbalapced
by all the other good ones.
"a most important point about the
Malta goat is that the flesh of the kid
is delicacy like venison, due to the
unusual variety OF it's food And it is
remarkable fact that the flesh Of
goats is sold for mutton uniformly.
People not acquainted with its good
qualities might find objection to buy
ing it. But it is SO much like sheep
that when it is called mutton it seems
all right to them. When the goats
head is removed the carcass resembles
that of a sheep.
"As the goat can be kept on waste
lands, eating what cattle would reject,
1t can be seen how the poor could great
~ reduce the cost Of living by keeping
q goat for milking or a flock Of them
for milking and providing food as well.
Each goat yields about three quarts of
milk day. Much mountain land in
the various states could be profitably
stocked with goats"
Regarding the plans of the depart
ment for disposing of the sixty eight
goats recently imported, the secretary
said:
''These animals are now in quaran.
tine at Athena, N. j. Later some of
them will be sent to the Connecticut
experiment station, to be cared for,
MIXED and propagated under exact
conditions to be noted by the experts
OF the department. Fifteen of the
flock will be dispatched direct to the
Maryland station, to be cared for in