WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 913 



the fact that I know the fleece alone is profitable aside from the meat and pelts, and 

 the meat is as much relished as mutton and many prefer it, for the goat is the nicest, 

 tidiest, daintiest eater of the animal family, with his face and dress always clean, 

 for their fleece repels dirt. 



Mr. Haupt began by crossing the pure-bred Angora on the common 

 Mexican goat, and it appears from his continued experience that while 

 the animal itself is not thoroughly changed from the Mexican type to 

 that of the pure-bred Turkish animal, yet, after many crosses, the hair 

 becomes as perfect as that of the native Turkish Angora goat . It ap- 

 pears that the change does not take place in the fiber itself, but that a 

 new growth of the genuine Angora hair starts in the very first cross. 

 It grows only to a short length, but in grading up the staple becomes 

 longer ; and this process continues the nearer the grade comes to the 

 pure-bred, so that after about the eighth cross the hair has displaced 

 all of the old Mexican growth and is fine, sleek, and glossy, strong and 

 regular as that of the original stock. The hair grows to the length of 

 10 to 12 inches and has a peculiar luster, which makes it desirable for 

 mixing with wool in the manufacture of fine goods. Mr. Haupt is of 

 opinion that with proper attention the Angoras could be made perma- 

 nently profitable anywhere in Texas, more especially in the hilly regions 

 of the west and northwest. These goats are healthy and long lived. 

 Their keeping costs but a trifle. While the sheep is subject to many 

 diseases, it seems that the goat is always in good health. As to their 

 manner of living, Mr. Haupt says : 



A goat has all the advantage of a sheep on the range. It must be good land to 

 produce sweet grass for a sheep, as he never feeds above the ground, while a goat 

 will take poor land with shrubs and a little grass and make his living 5 feet above 

 the shrub range, for I have seen them stand erect and nip a leaf 6 feet above the 

 ground. And this is a great inducement to a sheepman, that Le can run about as many 

 goats as his range will bear of sheep without further injury to the range, if he lias 

 much brush; and to the extent his brush may be destroyed is his sheep range im- 

 proved. 



The flesh of the goat is more than equal to that of the sheep. A kid 

 four to six months old is sweet and juicy, and it grows better from that 

 time on. The sheep gives but two sources of revenue, fleece and mut- 

 ton, while the goat has a skin which in shoes and gloves forms an in- 

 dispensable portion of the dress of a lady or gentleman. A sheep's pelt 

 is of little value after the wool is removed. 



Mr. Haupt shears his flock twice a year, about the 1st of October 

 and the 1st of April. He believes that a goat will produce more fleece 

 annually with two shearings than with one. The value of the goat's 

 hair, which, as the reader probably understands, is called mohair in the 

 books, is more valuable in the market than the best sheep's wool. Two 

 years ago it sold in the New York market at 33 to 35 cents per pound. 

 It is now worth much more. A flock of Angoras, with reasonable care, 

 will average about 4 pounds of fleece, and that, at 40 cents a pound, 

 equals $1.60, which is as good as 8 pounds of wool at 20 cents. 

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