42 BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTET. 



blood is infused. Upon examining the best grade of goats that we have we find that 

 the kemp is very short, probably only three-fourths of an inch in length, and the 

 mohair on one of these goats is 8 inches long and weighs 5 pounds, while the kemp 

 on the second goat is just as scarce and of the same length; also the mohair is of 

 the same length, but the weight is fully 2 pounds more than it was on the first goat: 

 herein lies the difiiculty. Both goats have the same appearance so far as examina- 

 tion can determine, but the second goat is inferior to the first because the fiber of 

 hid hair is much coarser than the other and contains more of the kempy blood; 

 hence the difiiculty in examination appears in the quality of the fiber, which can be 

 detected only by an experienced eye. 



The kemp hair will always be known by its being shorter and very coarse and of a 

 chalky- white appearance. It is particularly noticeable on account of its having no 

 luster, which is characteristic of all mohair. The first place that kemp becomes 

 extinct on a goat is on shoulders and neck — i. e., on the sides and along the ribs — and 

 the last place for it to become extinct is along the top of the neck, down the back- 

 bone, and on down to the hocks, the hocks being s?enerally the final place for the 

 disappearance of the coarse hair; also you will find kemp to predominate on the 

 belly. Do not understand me to say that the kemji becomes entirely extinct, for it 

 does not, but it is covered up with the mohair and can be seen only by throwing 

 the animal down and examining him carefully, and if he is appai-ently free from 

 kemi? you can examine him on the places above mentioned and you will invariably 

 find more or less kemp, and generally you will find considerable all over the body. 

 A good way to examine the hair is to pull out a small lock and spread it out in the 

 hand, and you can readily discern any coarse hairs that may be in it. It is supposed 

 by the best authorities we have that there are no goats in the world that are abso- 

 lutely free from kemp, although it is confidently expected by many of the prominent 

 breeders that it is only a question of a few years more of careful breeding until we 

 have a kempless goat. 



In addition to the above, Mr. Jobson writes to the Bureau his opin- 

 ion that there have not yet been produced any goats absolute!}^ free 

 from kemp, but he believes that the intelligence of the Americans 

 will enable them to produce such goats, and he himself proposes to 

 devote several years to the effort. He proposes to begin this work 

 upon the assumption that there is nowhere an absolutely pure Angora 

 goat — that there is at present in all of them in some degree the blood 

 of the common breed. 



The discussion of kemp will close with quotations of the opinions 

 of correspondents of the Bureau who have had experience in raising 

 Angoras. It may be stated that a large majority of these men hold 

 that kemp never disappears entirely. The quotations follow: 



I don't think that there are 500 Angoras in the United States, thoroughbreds oi 

 crossbreds, that are entirely free from kemp. Judging, however, from what I have 

 seen in former years, freedom from kemp can exist, even with second and third 

 crosses, provided the right kind of common does are mated with really kempless 

 bucks. Such experiments were made with bucks of the. Price Maurice importa- 

 tions to Australia, of which one buck and two does came to Texas. INIr. Schreiuer, 

 the Cape Colony authority, says that none of the pure bloods (so called) imported 

 into Cape Colony from Turkey were free from kemp, and, further, "that kemp can 

 and will be entirely eliminated from our [Cape Colony] best stud goats of our most 

 intelligent breedei's I have no doubt whatever," with which opinion I fully agree. — 

 3. A. Hoerle. 



