SHEEP AND GOATS 255 



to America from Turkey in 1849. Perhaps the original home 

 of the Angora is in central Asia. The goat is smaller than 

 the average sheep, weighing 60 to 100 pounds. The mohair 

 grows eight to ten inches long, or more, in a year and hangs 

 in curls all over the body. The fleece is shed in the spring if 

 it is not shorn. Underneath the mohair is a short coat of hair 

 called kemp. Sometimes it becomes three or four inches 

 long and gets mixed with the mohair in shearing. Kemp in 

 the mohair spoils the sale. Angora mutton, especially that 

 from young Angoras, is said to be very good. Sometimes, 

 however, it has a musky odor. It is not often found in the 

 market as yet. Angoras are very useful on brushy land, as they 

 seem to prefer twigs and leaves to grass. A flock of Angoras 

 soon clean a piece of land of all brush and small trees. An- 

 goras are found in almost every state in the Union, but the 

 largest flocks are in New Mexico and Texas. 



The use of goats for milch animals is very old. The oldest 

 records make mention of their use. The milk of the goat is 

 quite white in color. The flavor is sometimes musky, but when 

 the goats are kept in clean quarters and the females separate 

 from the males, there is no unpleasant odor. 



There are several breeds of milch goats, but none has 

 become common in America. The common goat is more 

 frequently found than any other and it is not a famous milk 

 producer. Among the best breeds for milk are: (1) the Mal- 

 tese from the island of Malta ; (2) the Toggenburg and Saanen 

 from Switzerland; and (3) the Nubian goat found in Nubia, 

 Egypt, and South Africa. When carefully cared for the 

 does give milk for several months, about five months being 

 the average. The amount of milk given varies greatly with 

 the breed and with individuals. The Nubian seems to be the 



