State Agricultural Society. 7 



fineness, or coarseness, demanded by visiting buyers for the different 

 manufacturers, will eventually be understood, and produced if possible. 



ANGORA GOATS. 



It has been proved by experiments that the wool-bearing goats can 

 be not only successfully raised here, but can also be made very profit- 

 able. The best writers upon the costly fabrics of Cashmere, and the 

 Thibet and Angora goats, agree in stating as an important fact, that the 

 hilly regions and mountainous districts of warm countries produce the 

 best fleeces. We have such localities* in abundance, and have already 

 repeated here the proof obtained in South Carolina and elsewhere, that 

 the Offspring of the pure imported Asiatic breed and our common goat 

 yield a fleece that closely approximates in fineness and durability to the 

 very best specimens. Also, that such a breed is vigorous and hardy, 

 superior as lamb or mutton for the table, not liable to injury from 

 changing temperatures, easily sustained upon pastures suitable to no 

 other valuable purpose, and free from any known disease. The proba- 

 bilities are strong that many flocks of these valuable animals will be 

 raised here within a short period of years. 



THE VINTAGE. 



A failure in the vintage was at one time during the year thought pos- 

 sible, but happily nothing of the kind occurred. The amount of wine 

 made is about equal to that of the preceding year — ten millions of gal- 

 lons; and the quality is, on the whole, superior. Viniculturists are 

 increasing in number, and the wine processes best suited to the pecul- 

 iarities of our grapes are becoming better known. If we could succeed 

 in generally bringing our red wines up to the standard of our white 

 ones in body and flavor, little would remain to be learned. Eenewed 

 and very successful attempts at raisin making are worthj^ of record, 

 and the outlook for this branch of husbandry is very favorable. 



COTTON. 



• 



Nearly one hundred pages of our last report were devoted to cotton, 

 and its adaptability to our soil and climate. The experiments already 

 made, and results arrived at, leave no room to doubt that cotton can be 

 cultivated successfully, and with great profit, free white labor alone 

 beirfg employed, throughout a vast area of our State. The soil has been 

 thoroughly tested, the climate fully proved. Those who ventured to 

 act as pioneers to determine the question, at their own cost and risk, 

 have uniformly made financial successes, and have generously published 

 to the world the details of their experiments. These proofs of assured 

 success are convincing. They may be subjected to the closest analytic 

 criticism without disturbing their accuracy, or weakening their value. 

 Believing that the planting of cotton is destined to become one of our 

 foremost industries, and realizing that the production of it is of great 

 prospective importance and value, both for exportation and for the 

 establishment of factories at home, it gives us pleasure to state that our 

 planters have been uniformly successful during the past year. 



