The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-09-15

flock to Benton county, oregon, dDouC
1870. purchased from Butterheld
Son. of California. Within the follow
ing two or three years VIM. M. Land
rum, then of California, brought 10
Oregon and sold in this state IN the
neighborhood of 1000 Angora goats,
mostly three-fourths or seven-eighths
Angora. Since that time, until quite
recently. comparatively few Angora
goats have been brought into the
northwest, except choice stock for
breeding purposes. There has been
no grading up from the common Mex
lean goat in the northwest, but on the
other hand, large number of we'll
bred Angoras have been bought from
John S. Harris, C. p. Bailey, VIM. M.
I.andrum and other leading breeders
for the purpose of improving the quail
ity of the goats here. Fortunately,
also. Oregon has developed a number
of the most skillful Angora breeders
in the United States. Owing to these
reasons. added to climatic causes, ore
gon mohair brings the highest average
nrice of that produced by any state
in the Union, and practically all the
mohair produced in the Pacific North
west is of the Oregon type.
Angora goats first found favor in
Oregon among the farmers of the
Willamette valley, because they
proved SO useful as brush destroyers.
In the days when the Indians con-
trolled the country, annual fires kept
the Willamette valley country free
from brush, but when the fires were
stopped the brush sprang up and
took the country" or SO much of it
as was not under the plough Pas
lures became young forests and slash
ings and burnings were followed by
fresh growth of brush. 1t was found
that the cheapest method of getting
rid of brush was to pasture goats on
it. The Angora goat paid for his keep
ing by his work as brush-destroyer
and his fleece and increase were profit.
On many of the valley farms the pc
riod of usefulness of the AngOra goat
was temporary but in the settlements
among the foothills the industry took
on a permanent form. Where there
is rough, hilly land the humid climate
west of the Cascade mountains fore
ordains a perpetual field of usefulness
and profit for the Angora goat. After
the more level lands have been
brought under cultivation the rough
hills remain and tend under our law
ish rainfall to rapidly cover them
selves with brush, even after they
have been cleared. Permanent grass
pastures for other stock are not
success on such lands without the aid
of goats. In many places the tend
ency of brush to grow is SO strong
that goats will always, of necessity,
be the leading domestic animal.
The logging off of timber lands by
lumbermen also opens a large field
of usefulness for the Angora goat, as
a great share of the logged-off lands
west of the Cascade mountains are
destined to become in time farm lands
Some errors have been made, however,
in nl@ollIg goats upon logged-oH lands
lou soon after the timber has been
removed. The brush which grows in
the dense shade of forest is unsuited
for goat food Two or three years
should elapse after the trees have
been cut in order to permit the soil
to dry out and become sweet, and for
a growth of brush to develop in sun
light.
While the Angora goat is naturally
most healthy in a dry climate it shows
great adaptibility if given proper care
and attention. In no section OF the
United States are there fewer losses
of goats reported than in Western
Oregon. The conditions in Western
Oregon and Western Washington are
so similar that it may we'll be expect
ed that goats will do as well in the
one state as in the other, and in fact
the few flocks in Western Washington
which date back for a number of
years are as healthy and prolific as
could be desired. 1t almost invariably
hannenS in Oregon Washington and
elsewhere, that beginners in the An
CORA industry in a district in which
goats have not previously been kept,