874 Rural School Leaflet 



ANIMALS TO BE RECOGNIZED IN 1912-1913 



A. H. Wright 



The Goat. — The goat is closely related to the sheep, its horns rising from 

 the forehead and curving backward, but not forming a spiral as do those 

 of the ram. It is covered with hair of varying length, and the male has 

 a beard. The legs are strong, though not large, and are fitted for leaping 

 and running. The tail is short, like that ot the deer. Our Rocky Moun- 

 tain goat is not really a goat, but belongs to the antelope group. It is 

 twice the size of any true goat and is white, with long, shaggy hair. 



The goat plays a prominent part in family life in Europe and Asia, but 

 in America there are relatively few of these animals. They are raised 

 more extensively in the South and West. In this State there are perhaps 

 not more than 2,000. 



There are many kinds of goats, chief among which are the Milch, the 

 Angora, and the Cashmere. The Swiss farmers have a very high type 

 of Milch goat, which is a source of considerable revenue to thein. In the 

 winter these goats are kept in shelters and fed, but in the early spring 

 they are sent to grazing grounds. They browse over great stretches of 

 land. When properly cared for and kept clean, their milk is excellent and 

 very nutritious. The butter is inferior, but many particularly choice 

 cheeses are made from their milk. There are almost none of these animals 

 in America, although there is no reason why the raising of goats should 

 not prove a profitable industry. 



The Angora goats first came from Angora, a city in Asia Minor 200 miles 

 southeast of Constantinople. Their fleece is long, siiky, and curly. 

 Most of the mohair for mohair, alpaca, and camel's-hair goods is pro- 

 duced by these goats. Their skins are rather deHcate, being used mostly 

 as rugs or robes or for trimmings. Morocco leather also is made from 

 their skins. Many flocks of these goats are raised in this country. Besides 

 their intrinsic worth, they are especially helpful in clearing out underbrush, 

 being very fond of leaves and twigs as food. 



The Cashmere goats are raised mostly in Tibet. Their wool is long, 

 silky, and straight. It is from this wool that the famous Cashmere shawls 

 are made. It takes the wool from ten goats and the work of several persons 

 for a year to produce one of the shawls. 



The common goat is of the " mongrel " type; it will live anywhere and 

 on very little food. The milk is good, but small in quantity. It is a 

 question whether this goat could be raised with profit on a commercial 

 scale. 



The Fox. — The common fox of this State is the red fox, although the 

 gray fox occurs to a slight extent in the southeastern part. The pre- 



