Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-05-19
The Angora Goat.

Asia. So highly we're they priced that
other importations followed soon after.
These were pure bred Angoras of high
merit, and were soon crossed with our
native hair goat. This has been the
practice for good many years. We
have now high. grade and pure-bred
hocks in nearly every state in the
Union. So rapidly has the Angora in
dustry grown in the United States that
there are hundreds of thousands of
them. Oregon alone has about 100, 900.
The demand for mohair is very great.
Manufacturers are finding new uses for
mohair. L. Levusoye of New York is
now advertising for long mohair, offer
ing from 81 to s. per pound for it.
There is not one-half enough mohair
raised in the United States for home
use. The consumption of mohair in
the United States for 1899 was ,O77,OO0
pounds and the number of pounds i'm
ported was l,1l0,456 pounds. Since
1899 the Angoras in the United States
have been increasing with great rapid.
ity; so has the demand for mohair.
The pelts of the Angora are also very
valuable. Bulletin No. 27, U. S. De-
partment of Agriculture, bureau of
animal industry, has this to say of the
pelts: "Angora pelts are used quite
extensively rs carriage robes and they
make up into very handsome ones.
There was time when the buffalo, the
wolf and other wild animals supplied
the demand for robes in this country,
but the extinction, practically, of the
buffalo and the great scarcity of the
other animals has forced us to look else
where for substitutes. An effort is be-
ing made to substitute hides of the
Galloway and Polled Angus breeds of
cattle, but their high cost will prevent
their extensive use. These conditions
have resulted in greater demand for
Angora skins for robes. The skin is
sufficiently tough for the purpose and
the fleece is easily dyed any desirable
color. This characteristic has enabled
unscrupulous dealers to sometimes pass
them off on purchasers AS the skins of
some rare animals. In their natural
color, the whiteness and brilliancy OF
which cannot be excelled, the skins of
the kids, and younger does are made up
into robes for baby buggies. There are
probably a greater number used for
this purpose at the present time than
any other way. AS general statement
it may be said that Angora pelts are
worth from 81 to So. The real value
depends on many things, such a. the
size of the skins, the length of the
fleece upon il, and the time of year it
was taken. AS rugs, these skins are
found in many households, and they
are both ornamental and durable. They
may be used in their original whiteness
or be dyed any color to suit. Their
softness makes them very desirable.
They are extensively used for trim
mings for children's cloaks and coats.
Some first.class skins have brought as
high as slS apiece for this purpose"
The flesh of the Angora is nov
termed Angora venison, throughout the
United States. There has been q pre-
judice against this meat in time past,
but it is now about gone. People have
been finding out that it is very palat.
able and nutritious. 1t is one of the
choicest OF meats to be used as food.
AS to the profit in Angora goats, it
will figure out about as follows on a
band of 100 yearling does They will
cost at $5 each, $500. The first years S
income will be for mohair at IS cents
per head, 1915, and 100 kids, for An.
goras will increase 100 per cent, which
at weaning time are worth 81 each.
The kids at 500 and the mohair at 1916
give u total income for the band for the
year of $475. 1t must be understood
that wethers will shear about twice as
much as does. Angora does are good
breeders until ~ years of age. and
have been known TO breed when &C
years old. Goats can be kept on most
any kind Of land-the rougher, the bet.
it seems to suit them. They will live
| on weeds aud brush almost the entire
: year. The goat business is one that
. figures out right. for it exchanges weeds
. and brush for money. For clearing
3 land they cannot be excelled. They
$ can be confined to brush thicket and
3 in about two seasons the land is cleared
t They will do better job of clearing
than men generally do, as they 90 into