The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-02
MILK GOATS AS ANTIDOTES TO
ANARCHY.


The goat has been a much abused
animal We have been taught to be-
lieve that he was to the animal king
dom what the anarchist is to the social
order. He has been made the butt OF
ridicule and in return has sought TO
get even in kind with his traducers.
1t turns out now that, instead OF de-
serving all the slurs heaped upon
him. the goat is really the best and
most useful of animals. The Phila-
delphia Public Ledger has been read
ing a recent government bulletin
(these much abused documents TEEN
with valuable information to the seek
err after facts) and has discovered that
all the goat literature has done that
animal grievous injustice. In order to
help repair this injury, as we'll as to
express the hope that North CAROLYN
ians will get the benefits from keeping
milk goats, we give space to the Led
gers editorial in full as follows:
"A handsome, well-illustrated pub
LEGATION is Bulletin No. 6S, just issued
the United States Department of Asr1-
culture, with the title, Information
Concerning the Mich Goats. Mr..
George Fayette Thompson is the edl-
tor, and he has one, desire in life,
which is to persuade. every man VINO IS
not deriving a sufficient income from
his present employment, every family
which is deprived of pleasant COM
partnership, to keep a goat, milch
goat. or a herd Of goats There are
millions in goats, and health, happl-
ness and content.
Americans have lacked enterprise in
neglecting the milch goat. Every
other country where there is nigh
range of intelligence and thrift has
used the goats kindly offices. The
goat thrives and affords a large part
of the poor family's income and sus-
tenance, from Switzerland TO the
mountain ranges of Tibet; from In
do-China to the bleak and rocky re-
gion of HammerfeSt, Norway; from the
plains of Astrakhan to Egypt and
from Siberia to the African jungle I'M
der the Equator. Long-haired goats
will stand the torrid heat and short
haired goats will do their duty in the
frigid zone, and everywhere they are
the true friend of man.
Listen to some statistics, and see
how the scoffer and the American hui
d.
Germany, at the beginning of the last
decade, had $11,000.00O worth Of
milch goats, and the products sold
from these goats in milk and in goats
and kids for the market returned
more than 100000 annually Lit
tie Switzerland reapS a harvest of S.
900, 900 a year from its goats milk,
and throughout Europe the income
from the goat is enormous.
''fTho ga GO for the oOat iS a. StrO1l
one. Goats milk is richer in nourish-
ing qualities than cows milk; it is the
prime food for infants; it makes good
butter and cheese, and is not only in
valuable for consumptives and those
of weak constitution. but, as the goat
is free from tuberculosis, it's milk is
above suspicion. The goat is a more
profitable animal than the COW. 1t
will work more and ask less. The
motto of the goat is plenty to do and
little to get. The industrious goat
gives much more milk in proportion
to its body weight than the COW, and
is satisfied with very little food and
with food of a lost cost, or it will pick
up living under the most discourage
ing circumstances. Professor Thomp-
son, admitting the hardness and
beautiful optimism of the goat, yet de-
MES that the goat will eat old tin cans.
He says the can-eating proclivity of the
goat is a wicked invention of the COM
ic papers. But the goat will live on
next to nothing, will work hard for
1T, and will give wonderful return
for its little cost of keep. The first
cost of the mich goat is very low and
two goats will supply a whole family
throughout the year with nourishing
food. The goat is of q kindly and al
truistic nature. She is the 'best fos-
ter-mother." and twill readily adopt
infants. calves, lambs. colts or pigs"
The enthusiastic eulogist of the
goat notes q curious custom in many
European towns, where the owners of
herds of goats drive the does through
the streets from door to door" and
draw the quantity of milk ordered Gin
the presence of the customer" So
great is human depravity and the ten
dency to adulterate all over the world
From this brief and incomplete
statement of the goats virtues IL
must appear that Americans have been
remisS; but the goat is capable of per-
forming a sociologic and patriotic SER
vice which throws her purely eco
nomic functions into the shade. We
quote from the bulletin
So long as the workingman is
happy in the possession of a bus
mess, has a small bit of ground
to call his own and has a profit
able domestic animal, just so long
will he be an opponent of social
strife, a careful provider for his
family and an adherent of some
recognized creed
stop, ye- refOrmerS and patriotic
societies and good government clubs,
and regard the mich goat go to the
goat. thou anarchist or atheist; keep
a goat and stand back of the social
order"