NOTES OX THE AXGORA GOAT. 1 53 



and were imprisoned by their V-shaped horns. The fence posts 

 were braced at the end of each length of fencing, and the goats 

 would walk up the braces and jump down on the other side of the 

 fence. In our experience, the goats will climb any kind of a rail 

 fence with angles, but will not jump over a fence they cannot 

 climb. Because of the difficulties experienced in fencing, but 

 little was learned the first of the season of their work in clearing 

 up land. 



The second season an acre of young woodland containing 

 bushes and trees of mixed growth, from sprouts up to 6 or 7 

 inches in diameter, was inclosed with Elwood poultry fence (not 

 poultry wire netting) 58 inches high. By taking care to have no 

 braces on the inside of the fence and no spaces under it through 

 which they could get their heads, this made a fence that would 

 not only keep the goats in, but would also keep dogs out. In 

 this inclosure, with a lean-to shed for them to run into in bad 

 weather and at night, they demanded no care during the summer 

 other than an occasional salting. In a pasture without water 

 this would have to be provided, although they are small drinkers. 

 They will stand low temperatures, but wet is not to their liking. 

 With a protection open to them, there is no danger of their get- 

 ting wet, as at the sound of the first sprinkling on the foliage 

 they will all leave off feeding and make a break for shelter. In 

 1903 another half acre was added to this run for them. There 

 was a quite thick growth of underbrush in the lot. The small 

 underbrush of birch, maple, hazelbush, etc., has been cleaned up 

 so that where there are no alders or evergreens the ground under 

 the trees is as clean as though it had been burned over. Sweet 

 fern they do not like very well, but they have cleaned all of the 

 hardback out of this piece. Ferns and brakes have been eaten 

 to some extent. They have eaten the leaves and young sprigs 

 of bushes in preference to grass. Birches two inches or more in 

 diameter they have not injured, but they have stripped the bark 

 from every maple. Even maple trees six inches in diameter 

 have been thus killed. We have found them to be fond of the 

 bark of apple trees, even eating the bark from old trees. The 

 illustrations on page 154 show the appearance of the wood lot in 

 the spring of 1902, while on page 155 are views from the same 

 portion taken in the late summer of 1903. 



