THE ANGORA AND MILKING GOATS 351 



days famed for the wonderful fabrics woven there, 

 and the Angora goat furnished the fleece for these 

 fabrics. Occasionally war or famine decimated the 

 flocks, and at last the changes in industrial life 

 hushed the looms of Angora and the industry of 

 spinning the fabrics was transferred to England. 

 Thereafter mohair became a regular export from 

 Angora, and the quality of the product suffered at 

 once. What was good enough to use at home be- 

 came too good to sell abroad and the Angoras were 

 crossed with a baser goat called the Kurd. It is 

 thought that there is not now in the world a speci- 

 men of the true, ancient Angora. The loss has been 

 in the fineness of the hair and the presence of more 

 kemp, which is an under hair shorter and damaging 

 to true mohair, because it will not take dye. It 

 would seem from the studies of Mendel's law that 

 it is most unlikely that the true and honorable 

 blood of the old Angora is lost, for it is sure to re- 

 appear in its purity sooner or later, if it has not 

 already, and can be fixed again, if it has not already 

 been fixed, by proper matings. 



In our beginning the Sultan of Turkey gave a few 

 Angoras to Dr. Jas. B. Davis of South Carolina. 

 Dr. Davis called them " Cashmeres, " and for some 

 years they were called by that name in America, 

 though the Cashmere goat is quite distinct and of 

 no great value in its present form and has never 

 been bred pure in the United States, so far as the 

 author knows. These goats throve fairly well, and 

 following the custom of the times very great lauda- 



