THE ANGORA GOAT. 49 



The markets. — One of the first questions to be considered by a man 

 who is about to embark in stock raising of any kind is the markets for 

 his surplus. This question is first because it is the principal one and 

 all important. The one who proposes to begin with a flock of 

 thoroughbred or high-grade Angoras, such as will yield merchantable 

 m hair, will not need to consider markets, as the increase will be 

 employed to produce mohair; but a large number of flocks will be 

 built up in the future, as they have been in the past, by the use of does 

 of the common breed. This method will necessitate getting rid of 

 every wether for two or three years. All does, of course, are kept for 

 breeding with purebred bucks. It will be ascertained that the fleece 

 of low grades is barel}" worth the cost of clipping it; that the skin is 

 not so valuable for leather as that of the common goat; and that, as a 

 rug or robe, the pelts are not so valuable as those of the higher grades. 

 Therefore, if there is to be any profit from this part of a flock, there 

 must be a market for the meat. 



So many questions concerning this phase of the industry have come 

 to the Bureau of Animal Industry that, in collecting data for this 

 paper, it was decided to go beyond the newspaper accounts and ascer- 

 tain the facts from the actual producers themselves. The question 

 submitted was, "Do you have any difiiculty in disposing of 3^our sur- 

 plus Angoras for meat?" The answers have been invariably in the 

 negative. It should be said, however, that in the Northwest very few 

 are used for meat. They are considered more valuable there as brush 

 destroyers. The conditions obtaining there are not found in all locali- 

 ties where Angoras are raised. In many places Angoras will be kept 

 where, instead of permitting them to destroy the brush utterly, eftorts 

 will be made to preserve brush pasture for them; in the Southwest 

 the\" are not all required for destroying brush, and thousands must be 

 sent to market. 



The reason why goats are not seen oftener in the market reports of 

 receipts and shipments is that they pass as sheep. It is stated, how- 

 ever, that increasing numbers are seen in the larger markets. In the 

 Union Stock Yards of Chicago as man}^ as 8,000 were received in one 

 week last year. 



While the goats pass as sheep, they are also sold to consumers as 

 sheep. They have not 3'et brought as good prices as sheep, and it can 

 not be hoped that they will do so until there is the same demand for 

 their mutton, which will come as soon as the prejudice against goats 

 disappears. The difl[erence is very slight in some places. In Kansas 

 City, for instance, the sheep bring about one-half a cent per pound 

 more than goats. The packers buy them as goats and sell them as 

 sheep in the form of dressed meat or canned. 

 11786— No. 27—01 k 



