THE ANGORA GOAT. 83 



We have almost all kinds of l)rowse in Arizona, but. S(^rnb evergreen oak i)rc(lomi- 

 nates. We have millions of acres of it, too. — Arizona. 



Oak, hazel, ash, fir, and madrona. — Oregon. 



Live oak, post oak, hackberry, elm, black persimmon, black jack, mesquit, moun- 

 tain cedar, wild plum, etc. — Texas. 



Several kinds of oak, sumac, grass, and weeds. They will eat almost any kind of 

 underbrush. — Texas. 



Brush, weeds, briers, mullen, and thistles. — Iov>a. 



All of the undergrowth conunon to southern Iowa — plum, hazel, four or five kinds 

 of oak, elm, three or four kinds of willow, crab apple, and buck bush (sometimes 

 called turkey berry) . — Iowa. 



Browsing supplements feedino — The browsing habits of goats is 

 important in connection with the question of feeding. In some places 

 they obtain enough browse to carry them through the winter. This 

 is especially true in the Southwest, where there is so great an abund- 

 ance of live oak. If snow is on the ground, or for other reasons the 

 goats are deprived of opportunities for foraging, the trees are cut 

 down for them. They pass though the winter in good condition with 

 other feed. Wherever they are deprived of opportunities for brows- 

 ing, they must be fed. Browsing saves feed. As far north as Nevada 

 Mr. Bailey's goats subsist the winter through on sagebrush. 



Bro'insing adds game flavor. — It is noted that many of the cor- 

 respondents heretofore quoted state that it is the browsing of the 

 Angora that gives to the meat the game flavor, thus leading some to 

 name the meat ' 'Angora venison. " It is also stated that when deprived 

 of browse and fed on grass and grain the game flavor disappears. 

 There is no reason why this should not be true, for it is a well-known 

 fact that flavor ma}" not only be fed into meat, but into milk and eggs 

 as well. 



Conunon goats as hriish destroyers. — The fact must not be overlooked 

 that the brush-destroying habit is common to all kinds of goats. The 

 common goats will do the work as well as the Angoras. The latter are 

 employed for the purpose because they are more plentiful and because 

 there is profit in their progeny for breeding purposes, their mohair, 

 and their meat. 



Preserving hrtish land for hroivsing. — Up to this point consideration 

 has been given to these goats as a means of clearing land for pasture 

 or for cultivation. There is much brush land in the United States 

 which will sui^port goats but is good for nothing else. If this is to 

 be devoted to goat raising, it is, of course, not desirable that the brush 

 be entirely exterminated. In this event a goat raiser should have sev- 

 eral fenced areas and change the goats from one to the other fre- 

 quently. They should not be permitted entirely to denude one field 

 before they are transferred to another. It is true, however, that no 

 matter how perfecth^ a woodland may be cleared of brush it will be 

 11786— No. 27—01 3 



