290 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



wants a horse which he can ride, and with which he can take 

 his family out. The State has 27,000 mules, and perhaps a 

 dozen jacks of fine blood. 



211. Swine. Swine are not in favor with the farmers of 

 California, as may be inferred from the fact that the State 

 had 600,000 of them in 1860, and has only 400,000 now. 

 They increase rapidly, and their meat commands a high price, 

 but they do not thrive upon the dry pastures ; they are not 

 permitted to run at large in many counties ; the mast is scanty 

 in the agricultural counties, and grain suitable for feed is dear. 

 It is probable that after extensive districts are brought under 

 the influence of irrigation, so that maize and succulent roots 

 can be cultivated with more profit than at present, swine will 

 come into more favor. 



2 1 2. Angora Goats. The importation of Angora or Cash- 

 mere goats was commenced in 1858, and several hundred ani- 

 mals, represented to be of pure blood, have been brought to 

 the State since ; but, notwithstanding the most brilliant 

 promises, they have as yet paid a profit to nobody save thoee 

 who sold the bucks. A gentleman engaged in that business, 

 and claiming to understand the value and market of Angora 

 wool, published an article several years ago, stating that a herd 

 of 768 nanny goats of common blood, supplied with Angora 

 bucks, would in five years have increased to 8,364, most of 

 them as good for wool as the pure Angora. The sales of 

 .wethers for mutton in the five years, at $4 per head, would 

 amount to $5,000; and the sales of wool, beginning after two 

 years, when there would be a considerable stock of goats of 

 seven-eighths blood, would be $384 the first year, $1,728 the 

 second, $4,896 the third, and from that time on would con- 

 tinue to increase at the rate of about fifty per cent, annually, 

 if the wool were to bring $1 per pound. 



After fifteen years of trial, California has discovered 

 that there was something wrong about these promises. In- 

 stead of having a million Angora goats of nearly pure blood, 



