The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1918-04-11
A VALUABLE ANIMAL
RAISED WITHOUT COST
Gives Delicate Meat Fit For ;
Kings Table

for clothing, why not consider the
goat as a source of supply9 The
goat can be made to help in this
respect, besides it consumes more
roughage than any other animal,
and in this way helps the farmer
to clear his land as well as to fer
tilize it.
There are numerous varieties of
domesticated goats in foreign
countries with many diversities of
hair, boards and forms of horns.
Goats are highly priced in Oriental
and tropical lands for their meat,
milk and hair, the latter being
woven into the most delicate fab
RIGS. The milk is richer than that
of the cow, and equally agreeable
to the taste. In Europe it is ex-
tensively used by invalids and
weakly babes and for making
cheese.
In Switzerland it has been
known to give as high as five
quarts day, quantity in the
year aggregating many times its
weight. When cared for, it is
very docile and affectionate, be-
comes a pet for the children and is
easily trained. Boys use trained
goats to haul their toy wagons "a
bout the streets. The writer of
this recalls seeing a goat attached
to a small plow used in a garden,
in lieu of a hand-pushed imple-
ment, and the animal worked
faithfully and well in its task and
relieved the gardener of considera-
BILE labor. The improved varie-
ties are no more comparable with
the ill-smelling and quarrelsome
BILLY Goat" of America, where it
is made so by neglect and abuse,
than the improved hog is to be
compared with the razor-back, or
a collie dog with a wolf.
The meat of the goat and kid
cannot be distinguished from NUT
ton or lamb. The skin Of the goat !
has many more uses than that of |
the sheep. In 1916 we imported |
over a hundred million pounds of |
goat skins, largely from Asia, and |
used them to make high priced
shoes and gloves. The fine cash
mere shawls, carpets and draper
les Of India and Persia, are made
from the hair of goats.
There are some ten species of
wild goats with representatives Oil
every continent, usually in the
mountains, being sure-footed and
noted for endurance and ability
to jump long distances. wild
goats are often spoken of as ibex-
es, some kinds having horns SO or
more inches long. The wild goat
Of America is a white variety,
wonderfully keen and active, hav-
ing a home in the high places of
The Rockies. Hunting it is an ex.
,iting sport.
Singular to say, the goat has
never been properly utilized in
English speaking countries. There
S no reason why it cannot be made
Useful and profitable in Florida,
Except because" a reason too Of
en- assigned for not taking adj
7antage of other opportunities in
'ur favored state. Many small
arms and country homes, where
here is not land enough maybe to
,eep cow, could be made to east
grow plenty for a nanny" A !
'acant lot or big backyard in ..
ny Florida town could be made to
goat, and any extra feed
o be bought will be appreciated {
" the grateful animal in giving |
dditional milk. Many Florida /
amily now without milk, except 7
he canned kind, could supply it. {
elf with plenty of fresh milk by ~
eeping one. A Saanen goat, {
ept by a Tallahassee family, has
iUnn on oryororo oF fo,,,. e.,,o - =, =,