THE ANGORA GOAT. 77 



in-and-in breeding, but from breeding from animals whose 

 physical and nervous systems wera not fully developed. Hence 

 I maintain that it is necessary, in order to have a good stock 

 getter, to have an animal, a bull, for instance, that is fully 

 exercised, so that his physique is strong, vigorous and healthy. 

 I mentioned this subject to Mr. Griswold, who has probably the 

 best herd of Durham animals in New England, and he told me 

 his herd was taken care of by an Englishman, and that his bulls 

 had two miles of exercise every day. " Bohemia," the first 

 year after he was imported, got no stock — he was a high-fed, 

 luxurious liver ; and the next year, they made him cut his own 

 fodder, put him into the pasture, and gave him abundant exer- 

 cise, and he became a good stock getter. I liave always found 

 that a bull that is worked is a better stock getter, and gets 

 more vigorous calves than a luxurious, idle bull. I ascribe the 

 deterioration in many herds to luxurious, high feeding, and 

 idle habits. 



I suppose this discussion is not confined to neat cattle, and 

 there is a subject in which Massachusetts is largely concerned, 

 to whidi I will briefly allude. The statement has been made 

 in the " New York Tribune," that the wool of the Angora goat 

 was coarse hair, unfit for anything — hardly fit to make a decent 

 pair of Sunday pantaloons; that the valuable shawls, cashmere 

 shawls, for instance, were not made from this fleece ; and that 

 there was no machinery in this country for spinning and using 

 this fleece. Now, the oldest of us recollect, that when the 

 Merino sheep were introduced, many farmers said they would as 

 soon have a skunk upon their farm as a Merino ram ; yet the 

 importation of that animal has added millions to our agricul- 

 tural wealth. It was the introduction of a new agricultural 

 and manufacturing staple; And it has not only done that, but 

 it has kept so much money at home. The introduction of the 

 Angora goat promises to furnish as valuable an agricultural 

 and manufacturing staple. The principle of the manufacture 

 is the same as that of lustre wool ; it can be spun in the same 

 way, and with similar machinery. To show that tliere is no 

 truth in the report of the " Tribune," I have with me three 

 samples of the first cloth, probably, ever manufactured in this 

 country from yarn spun by machinery. The Angora wool is 

 manufactured at Paterson, N. J., at Troy, N. Y., and at 



