Selecting a Milch Goat. -99 



in a careful, methodical manner, achieve success, and 

 become enthusiastic on the subject, whilst others, after the 

 first season, give it up as troublesome and unprofitable. 

 This frequently depends on the first goat bought. There 

 was a time, before the British Goat Society came into 

 being, when intending goat-keepers had to depend on 

 general dealers to get them a goat, and the animal supplied 

 to them was generally obtained to order from a local 

 market or country fair, the chances of such purchases 

 turning out well being very problematical. With the 

 British Goat Society and its present system of supplying 

 goats to its members all this is now changed. There is 

 always amongst its subscribers a certain number who have 

 some goats to dispose of, and it would not answer 

 their purpose to supply an animal that was not all it 

 was stated to be. The Society issues a " Sale Register," 

 which, since 1907, has been published in connection with 

 its " Monthly Circular." Here goats are advertised for 

 sale by its members at various prices. The demand at the 

 present time for good milking goats is so considerable, 

 however, that to buy a really good milker with a Herd 

 Book pedigree means a rather large outlay. Then there 

 is always -the chance of picking up a bargain through 

 the private advertisement columns of The Bazaar, Ex- 

 change and Mart. This journal appears three times a 

 week, but the Wednesday's issue is that in which articles 

 and correspondence on goat subjects are systematically 

 published, and consequently most of the goat advertise- 

 ments appear on that day. By the "Deposit System" 

 the transaction can be made through the management, in 

 which case the purchase money is not paid until the deal 

 is reported as satisfactory. Then, again, many adver- 

 tisers are registered, having given the necessary refer- 

 ences, so that such persons may be regarded as trust- 

 worthy. 



H 2 



