Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-12-08
GOAT SOLD AS LAMB.
It II Said Co he Common Cusfor
All Over the Country.


Goat, the hollow horned, four storl-
ached animal, raised for its milk, aesh
and skin primarily. Is, according to
the department of agriculture. furnish
ing considerable part of the lamb"
and mutton" handled by the packing
houses and retail dealers all over the
country. Dealers in goats at the stock.
yards say this is true i'm Kansas City
as well as elsewhere.
Several times Of late 1 have gone
into butcher shops with the purpose
OF buying mutton for my morning
meal and have found nothing in the
shop except goat, represented to me
10 be mutton" said a goat dealer at
the stockyards recently.
The average man is fooled. 1t is
easy enough. though, to distinguish the
difference between sheep and goat
meat if one viii only take the time
and trouble. Herein the difference
lies; In the sheep the front leg from
the hoof TO the knee is about the same
length as from the knee to the shout.
the hoof to the knee is only about half
as great as from the knee to the
shoulder. Also, the goat is much more
razor backed than the sheep. The
backbone or spinal column is not so
hexible as that Of tile sheep and Il
cannot be SO easily broken. Mutton
Is much more plentiful. but the cost is
greater.
Even IL tee people are being de-
ceiyed and are eating goat, it matters
not SO much IL the animal is young, for
kid meat is more delectable than lamb.
am of the opinion that both the pack
er and the butcher are ut fault. Often
the green butcher thinks that he is
buying the most innocent of animals
the lamb-when he has bought the
goat, and, again, the retail dealer
knows that he has bought goat, and
he sells it to the consumer for NUT
tom
The Kansas City market receives a
large number of goats, compared with
other markets, but compared with the
number of sheep received the number
is small. The biggest goat years were
1902 and 1908. In 1902 there were
from 10000 TO $4,000 goats sold and in
1908 from 10000 10 $4,000. Last year
there were only $4,000 ON the market.
From the number thus far this year it
looks as IL the receipts will exceed last
years. The bulk OF the goat trade
comes from Texas and New Mexico.
The trade here Is handled by n few
firms. AS such limited number Of
goats arrive they usually find n ready
market. Fat goats this week are sell
ing from about $3.50 10 1915 hun
dred. Nannles. or does, are bringing
from So to 81 head.
Even If goats do not arrive very
often at the stockyards, there are nj.
ways goats there, for the stockyards
company owns about fifteen, and each
packing house has an animal These
are used to lead the sheep. Whenever
load OF sheep arrives n goat is taken
TO the train to lead the band Of sheep,
sometimes numbering thousands, to
the pens, later TO be slaughtered. The
goats are most needed after q rain. for
then sheep balk, as they are afraid OF
mud nuddles. i- AL
All men that are familiar with the
history OF the Kansas City sheep yards
well remember goat called Mike.
He won his renown by his marked &c
gree Of intelligence. He died about a
year ago of old age, after having seen
ten years OF service at the yards
Kansas City Star r..rI