Goat-Farming. 263 



years ago a lady devoted a series of articles to this 

 topic with a view to showing that a small fortune was 

 to be made out of such a business. The writer seemed 

 to think that because a few goats kept privately to supply 

 a household with milk are a profitable investment, a large 

 herd the milk of which was sold wholesale as is done 

 with cows would be an equally remunerative undertaking. 

 Possibly it might, but the first requirement in such a case 

 would be to ensure a ready sale for the milk, and up to 

 the present there is not the slightest reason to suppose 

 that there exists commercially a demand for this article. 

 People who require goats' milk wish to have it from their 

 own goats, just as most householders would like their 

 cow's milk from their own cow if they had the means and 

 the facilities for keeping one. With a goat this is, of 

 course, a much easier matter ; the consequence is that there 

 is a very considerable demand for goats, but none at all 

 for goats' milk. 



The question therefore arises: Would it pay to farm 

 goats to supply this demand? The answer is extremely 

 doubtful, and so far there is little evidence in support of 

 a favourable reply. It all depends on the prices obtain- 

 able for the goats sold. On this point perhaps no one is 

 better able to express an opinion than Mr. Sam Woodiwiss, 

 of Great Waltham, Essex, whose long experience in goat- 

 breeding and some nine or ten years' management of his 

 own farm of 250 acres, whereon he grows the greater part 

 of the food necessary for his stock, places him in an 

 exceptional position for giving a favourable report. No 

 breeder has been able to command such prices for his 

 stock as the owner of the Sedgemere herd, whilst, on the 

 other hand, the cost of production with him is reduced 

 to the lowest figure. In answer to a letter to Mr. Woodi- 

 wiss asking for his views, I received the following : 



" In reply to your question as to whether I have found 



