56 BUEEAu OF a:nimal industry o 



CHARACTER OF SOIL. 



Almost any kind of soil, except wet and marshy land, is suitable 

 for these goats. Their preference is mountainous or rocky land, 

 where they find it necessary to climb mountain sides and rocky cliffs 

 to browse. Such situations not only afford them satisfaction in climb- 

 ing and feeding, but the rocks serve to keep the feet trimmed. This is 

 an important matter, for on soils devoid of stones or sand the feet must 

 oftentimes be trimmed by hand. 



One of the reasons for the freedom of goats from most diseases is 

 that they require pure water, and in no place is better water found 

 than in the springs and rivulets of hilly or rocky localities. Goats also 

 require much exercise, much more than sheep, and such situations 

 satisfy this inclination. 



However, it must not be understood that rocks and hills are essen- 

 tial, although they provide for the goat an ideal situation. As stated 

 above, almost any kind of soil is suitable except wet and marsh}^ land. 

 Goats are not partial to water in any form — in the soil or in the form 

 of rain, snow, or sleet — and they drink a very small amount. Keep the 

 goats dry overhead and under foot. 



LAND AVAILABLE FOR GOAT CULTURE. 



The habits of goats, as set forth in the earlier paragraphs of this 

 paper, suggest at once to the informed person that there are in the 

 United States millions of acres of land suitable for goat culture which 

 are now serving no economic purpose whatever. Much of this would 

 answer for sheep raising, but much more of it is suitable for goats 

 only. 



In the northwestern States there are hundreds of thousands of acres 

 of forest land which, on account of the forest covering, is useless, but 

 when goats clear it of all underbrush and put it in proper condition 

 for cultivation, as they are doing there at this time, the land becomes 

 more valuable for other kinds of farm crops. In other places there 

 is much brush land which it is desirable to have goats transform into 

 good pasture land, and there are also vast acres of mountainous and 

 hilly districts which are ideal locations for Angora goats, but which 

 could be of no importance as pasture or as tillable land. 



Capt. Almont Barnes, in the article entitled ''Keeping goats for 

 profit," makes some estimates of the amount of unimproved land in 

 the country, basing his calculations upon the reports of the Eleventh 

 Census. He finds that the total amount of unimproved land in the 

 United States is 265,000,000 acres. In Maine there are 6,000,000 acres 

 in farms, of which 3,000,000 are improved; in Georgia are 25,000,000 

 in farms, of which 9,500,000 are improved. He concludes: 



There is, however, in the United States a large, continuous area, embracing over 

 one-third of the States and Territories, Avhich invites particular attention in connec- 

 tion with this subject. It includes the South Atlantic and South Central d.iyisiQU!^ 



