Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1909-02-26
uuseful Employ meai for Aagora Goats.

tuNtiui tmVtht bttht fUi ShEotd uudiss
few year, ago there va awakened
an Interest Ia Inc advantage OF raising
the angafa goat, H. II was more vslua-
bile than the common goat and could
live ON eating what the latter rejected.
The objection was that II WAS tnomnch
given 10 eating things rejected by other
animals and was apt to do costly mis-
chief. in settled communities, in seek
inR It's food. \ service has nov been
found for the anRora guat that i ali
gain and no loss. Three thousand OF
these goats, he f,led ont on the brush.
covered foothills of california, are go.
ing 90 do some hard work Tor | ncle
sam during the coming two seafs, be-
ginning this spfing. The experiment
viii he unique both a. stock raising
proposition and a an engineering and
tree culture problem.
The little white amin ais, whose long
wool IN Of such great value, are going
to Toe put To no less a task than con.
structing mile after mile OF fire line
through the hushy chapatal growth In
the National forests, saving much la
Dor by the United States Forest Ser
vice engineers and making way for for
estation by merchant able trees. Not
the least important features of the ex-
pertinent. which, Tor the first two years,
"A. A. 4
the fact that the task will lie performed
during the regular grazing by the goats
who Will not even realize they are do-
ing valuable work.
Plans for carving ON the work are
outlined IA cooperative agreement
drawn up hN the Forest Service aud the
owner Of hand Of goats grazing ON
The l.aS>en National Forest Of Califor-
MIA The scheme is 10 run fire lines
parallel With The contour el the slopes
by cutting trails about Su rods apart.
These trails are 10 serve a. guides for
the angoras. They will Craze In each
direction nom the trails, killing, II Is
estimated, a strip of brush about 800
yards wide The wide lanes cut out
and gtazed by the goats viii serve ~
ideal fire lines in protecting the forest.
covered lands lying beyond aud around
the chaparaI areas, and also make a
place tot rcproiaetion OF merehantable
trees.
kAor the past Two years the govern
ment has teen carrying en permanent
Improvements in the National forests
ON an extensive scale, and the eonstrue-
ton Of dire lanes and trails has been
one OF the most important features Of
the work. The task Of clearing the
ground and providing land for good
forest trees +, however, perhaps the
most important eeneft expected 10
come eus OF the experiment.
The proposed work II the angora
goats may finally solve the ehaparral
problem, which has beca troublesome
In the State II California for many
years. The bashy chaparral growth
ehekcs cut seedlings 81 valuable COM
menniai trees which may ses start.
and when dry Is one II the worst kinds
Of iife iisks. Often small blaze uhsch
starts IN II gains such headmay in
few minutes n 10 travel hundreds q
yards and lick into valuable stands II
merchandise simhes.
The protection 10 IL afforded BY ihe
sass-bosls Ire lanes. therefore. may n
last hiring Felstf u Tie state, Which. IN
tbs pas has had IL. full share Il tim.
e<f lass ghfpagh destructive ferest tifes.
At the sasas ttnas, ssFSe snioaas II
ehsnaFtal usii K kliless cal Il make
nAAin feF the gnaesh Il xAAi trFxs thai
peeslacs ismhef. Ii proven suoeessfel
Ill shv end u fse pears the Mock wili
inessxiesl n NaI2as,ai sass,is IL ssss1s