CHAPTER VII. 



GOATS 



Goats have always been raised to a greater or 

 less extent in this country, but in the past eight 

 or ten years a considerable increase in interest in 

 the goat business has been stirred up by the efforts 

 of the Bureau of Animal Industry and of others 

 who have helped to develop goat raising in the 

 United States. According to recent statistics there 

 are about two million goats in this country of which 

 perhaps seven hundred thousand are Angoras, 

 the rest being common goats. These goats are 

 distributed quite unevenly throughout the country 

 but occur in every state and territory. Texas 

 stands at the head with more than six hundred 

 thousand, followed by New Mexico, Alabama, 

 Oregon, California, Georgia, Mississippi and other 

 states. During the recent revival of interest in 

 the goat industry, particular attention has natural- 

 ly been given to the Angoras, which with other 

 improved breeds, together with the common goat, 

 are considered to be descendants of a common 

 wild species. The Angoras were first introduced 

 into this country from Turkey during the admin- 

 istration of President Polk. The Angora goat 

 and common goats are valuable on account of 

 their ability to clear brush land and derive a main- 

 tenance ration from leaves, bark, small twigs, 

 weeds and other waste materials which would 



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