"And Thou Shalt Have Goat's Milk" 153 



In the thoroughbred this period is from nine to ten 

 months, against three or four months with the common 

 native goat. Hence it is most desirable that the home 

 gardener should have a thoroughbred goat, though not 

 necessarily a 100 per cent thoroughbred. 



The most serious difficulty in meeting this demand is 

 that blooded goats are scarce and dear in the United 

 States. There are probably not more than 3,000 pure- 

 bred milch goats in this country to-day. Parenthetic- 

 ally, it should be said that the Angora is not properly 

 classed as a milch goat, but is kept for its beautiful 

 fleece. Of the Swiss goats the Toggenburg is the most 

 numerous, and the Saanen comes next. The Anglo- 

 Nubian is gaining ground, and its friends are most 

 enthusiastic — partly because of the patrician Roman 

 nose, but more because of their confident claim in regard 

 to the "odorless" buck. 



It should be said that all of the imported goats are 

 quite different in appearance from the native variety. 

 Usually they are hornless and gifted with graceful lines, 

 so that they more resemble young deer or fawns than 

 the common backyard goat. This is particularly true 

 of the Toggenburg, because of their fawn colo*\ The 

 Saanens are pure white, and the Anglo-Nubian black, 

 or reddish black. It is conceded that the Toggenburg 

 gives the most milk, the Anglo-Nubian the richest, while 

 the Saanen represents the middle ground between the 

 two in both qualities. Doubtless everybody knows that 

 the finest cheese in the world is made of goat's milk, and 

 appreciates the fact that home-made cheese is a de- 

 lightful and nutritious feature of the household diet. 



The price of pure-bred goats, ranging from $75 to 



