New Britain herald., 1914-05-01
ANCORA GOAT RAISING
 IS NOW A SUCCESS
An mai Thrlvcs and Clears Away
 Much Brush.

bv the United States Department of Agriculture under the title, "The An ] gora Goat" Farmers Bulletin oi'i 1 The industry, says the bulletin, IS {! indeed so we'll established here that 1 growers need not be inconvenienced 1 by the action of South Africa in pro- 1 hibiting the exportation of Angoras, l for the quantity of good blood in this
 country is already sufficient to meet 1 all requirements. In the opinion of 1 experts the best American fleeces now 1 equal any grown in South Africa or l Asa Minor, the original home of the l Angora. ~.. | Although nearly every state in the l union now possesses it's flocks, the l southwest and northwest are espe- cially we'll adapted to the industry, | in particular the large areas recently l logged-off in the northwest. There l the Angora not only thrives himself l but helps to clear away the brush
 which, if allowed to grow unchecked, | might easily become dangerous fire trap. Thus it is often said that the
 Angora works and pays for it's board | at the same time. g. .5 Good Market for Mohair.
 It is paying more and more, for
 the value of the fleece of mohair is 1 increasing steadily. Formerly the l use of mohair depended so largely upon the prevailing fashion that it's [ price varied widely from year to l year. This condition, however, is rapidly changing as new uses for mohair are continually found, from ] automobile tops and table covers to dress goods and curled false hair, and ! ~9 1F sonably steady market. The price 1 of course varies with the quality, the very best fleeces bringing on an
 average from forty-two to fifty-tive 1 cents a pound. The weight of
 fleece has a very wide range. but in l 1909 the average for Oregon was 1 found to be 3.7 pounds and for Texas 1 1855. On account of the greater | heat, however, and the damage of l shedding, Angoras in the southwest 1 are frequently shorn twice a year 1 a fact which must be taken into con- i sideration in all calculations.
 1 This practice of clipping twice a year is in many ways a drawback to ] the industry since it tends to lower 1 the average grade of American mo- l hair. Mohair as good as any, can
 be and is grown in this country but
 the average quality is not today con-
 sidered to be as good as the for
 eign. About 2,O00,0OO pounds are
 annually imported. Ordinarily this
 is blended and spun with the do-
 mestic product. Six inches is the
 shortest length of fleece usually do- l sired and, because of shearing twice l year, much Texas and New Mexico 1 mohair falls below this standard. 1 Where the fleece is allowed to grow
 for twelve months the average length
 is ten inches and in the best flocks l it is not unusual to get fifteen to i twenty inches Romeo the sweep stakes buck at the El Paso show in 1910, is an example of what is pos
 sible. His fleece weighed eighteen
 pounds measured 20 3-4 inches Tn
 length and sold for $115. Such fleece | is not of course, the product of or 1 dinary commercial conditions It
 implies a considerable amount of care
 and personal attention.
 Angoras Should Flourish Here.
 The birth rate is approximately
 sixty-five per cent, but in we'll man.
 aged f1ocks this has risen on occa-
 sions as high as 12O per cent. Since
 the kids are not hardy, it is obvious
 that this means skill and industry
 during the breeding season. The
 best methods of caring for the flock
 at this time are discussed in some
 detail in the new bulletin. Otherwise
 the management of Angoras does not
 differ greatly from that of sheep.
 While the Angora goat needs at
 tention it is adaptable and as far as
 temperature is concerned should l nf ha
 States. In Montana the f1ocks face the heavy snowfalls with equanimity
 as long as a dry place is provided for them at night and though the heat in the southwest frequently
 makes it necessary to shear twice d year in order to prevent shedding il does not otherwise affect the health of the focks. Dampness, however
 is more injurious than either cold or
 heat. High land is the native home
 of all goats and they invariably seek
 it when left to themselves. Pure wa. ter is also an essential.
 Otherwise the Angora is not par ticular. It will feed with cattle and
 sheep, and, though in some danger of being kicked, with horses also. As matter of fact, however, the goat
 prefers certain amount of rough pasture and is particularly happy when clearing up brush land. There I is one instance of flock of 500 be.
 ing allowed free grazing in a. Cal ifornia forest reserve in order te
 keep the strips of cleared land , known as fire breaks, free from weed:
 and vegetation. Settlers in the northwest find the Angora most ser i, viceable in browsing off the brush on their new lands, and one interur