Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-05-16
BIG PROFIT IN
 ANG0RA GOATS Can Be Easily and Cheaply Grown in Southeast
 Arkansas.
FLEECE IS VALUALE.
From 42 to :5 Gents Per Pound Is Paid for Mohair, for Which There is Steadily Increas.
 ing Demand.

Washington, May 1o.-Ihe raising of Angora goats in the United States is now demonstrated success ac- cording to a report just published by the United States department of asri- culture under the title, "The AngoTa Goat" Farmers bulletin 57,3). The industry, says the bulletin, is iI- deed so we'll established here tilat growers need not be inconvenienced by the action of South Africa in pre- hibiting the eXportation of Angoras. for the quantity of good blood in this country is already sufficient to meet all requirements. In the opinion of experts the best American fleeces now equal any grown in South Af:i- ca Or Asia Minor, the original home of the Angora.
 Although nearly every state in the union now possesses it's flocks, the southwest and the northwest are es- peciallv we'll adapted to the industry, in particular the large areas recent ly logged-off in the northwest. There the Angora not only thrives himself 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 its board at the same time.
 Fleece Increases in Value.
 It is paying more and more, for the value of the fleece or mohair is increasing steadily. Formerly the use of mohair depended so largely upon the prevailing fashion that it's price vi yyi6p1u fn This condition, however, is rapidly changing as new uses for mohair are continually found, from automobile tops and table covers to dress goods and cu1led false hair, and today the grower is assured of reasonably steady market. The price of course varies with the quality, the very best fleeces bringing on an average from AZ to 5 cents a pound. The weight of a fleece has a very wide range but in 1909 the average for .Oregol was found to be 3.7 pounds and for Texas 1855. On account of the great est heat, however, and the damage o1 shedding, Angoras in the southwes: are frequently shorn twice year a fact which must be taken into con- sideration in all calculations.
 This practice of clipping twice g year is in many ways a drawback IL the industry since it tends to lower the average grade of American mo- hair. Mohair as good as any, can b. and is grown in this country but the average quality is not today consid- cred to be as good as the foreign About 2,OO0,O0O pounds are annually imported. Ordinarily this is blended and spun with the domestic product Six inches is the shortest length o1 fleece usually desired and, because of shearing twice year, much Tex as and New Mexico mohair falls De- low this standard. Where the fleece is allowed to grow for twelve months the average length is 10 inches an6 in the best flocks it is not uEusua to get 15 to 20 inches. Romeo, ,he sweepstakes buck at the El Pass show in 1910, is aa example ot wha is possible. His fleece weighed Ia pounds. measured 20 3-4 inches il length and sold for $115. Such fleece is not of course the product of urdi nary commercial conditions. It i'm plies a considerable amount Of care and personal attention.
 The birth rate is approxima1s!I 6, per cent but in well managed flocKs that has risen on occasions as hgl as 120 per cent. Since the kids are not hardy, it is obvious that this means skill and industry during 'nf breeding season. The best methods O. caring for the flock at this tlma are discussed ia some detail in the ne" bulletin. Otherwise the management of Angoras does not differ sreatj. from that of sheep.
 While the Angora goat needs at tention, it is adaptable and as far as temperature is concerned, shoulc flourish in any part of the Unl,ec States. In Montana the flocks fac' the heavy snowfalls with equanimifS as long as a dry place is provide1 for them at night and though tft heat in the southwest frequently makes it necessary to shear twice a year in order to prevent shedding it does not otherwise affect the health of the, flocks. Dampness. how ever, is more injurious than either ooId or boot Hi0h 1oud iS tho native