Hayes.] 430 [March 18, 



country, as shown by the samples of yarns spun by INIr. Cameron, 

 and the dress goods spun and woven by Mr. Fay of the LoAvell 

 Manufacturing Company from Angora avooI grown by Mr. Chenery 

 at Behnont. 



Before the demand of this material for dress goods and plushes, 

 mohair was largely used in Europe and this country for lastings for 

 fine broadcloths, the lustrous surface acting as a frame in a picture 

 to set off' the goods. This use is now abandoned. Mohair is now 

 extensively used to form the pile of certain styles of plushes used for 

 ladies' cloakings, also for the pile of the best fabrics styled Astrakans. 

 Narrow strips of the skin of the Angora with the fleece attached 

 have been recently in fashion for trimmings, and great prices Avere 

 obtained for a limited number of the pelts for this purpose. The skins 

 with the fleeces attached will always bring high prices for foot rugs, 

 on account of their peculiar lustre and tlie advantages they possess 

 over those made of wool, in not being liable to felt. 



Nearly all the raw mohair of commerce is at present consumed by 

 a very few manufacturers in England, who first commenced spinning 

 in 1835, at the suggestion of Mr. Southey, and soon excluded the 

 Turkish yarns by the superiority and evenness of their yarns. The 

 enormous works of Mr. Salt in England were erected in 18.53, mainly 

 for the manufacture of mohair and alpaca fabrics.* The annual 

 exports of mohair from Turkey as well as other instructive facts are 

 given in the following letter from a leading wool and commercial 

 house in New York, obtained at my request. 



New Yoek, December 7, 1867. 

 Messrs. G. W. Bond & Co., Boston, — 



Dear Sirs: — Agreeably with the request of j^our Mr. G. W. Bond, we beg 

 liei-ewith to hand you all the information we have regai-ding mohair or goats' 

 wool. 



Good mohair (Angora goat) is not known as an article of commerce anywhere 

 but in Asia Minor. It is received from Asia Minor in bales varying from one 

 hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds in weight, as most convenient, each 

 fleece carefully rolled up and tightly packed. The exports from Turkey ai'e as 

 follows : — 



1850 12,884 bales. 



1860 11,902 " 



1861 16,592 " 



1862 17,706 " 



1863 14,812 " 



1864 19,761 " 



1865 27,641 " 



1866 22,068 " 



We have seen samples of goats' wool grown in South Africa and this country, 

 but they had degenerated, becoming coarser, and losing the lustre and silky 



* Vide Janes's History of the Worsted Manufactures. 



