198 



OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



The Cashvicrc goat is found in Cashmere and 

 in Tibet. It is not tall ; it has a rather large 

 head and pendent ears. Its long, spiral horns 



Rf,.\i)v to take out B.aby 



curve obliquely backward. The outer hair is 

 long, fine, straight, and stiff, but beneath it is 

 the extremely fine, soft, fleecy wool which has 

 made this species of goat so famous. The 

 color of the outer hair is white, silvery, pale 

 yellow, or light brown ; the wool runs from 

 white to gray. This wool enables the animal 

 to bear the severe cold of the mountains of 

 Tibet. It is sheared in May or June ; the long 

 hair is carefully separated from the brilliant 

 and silky wool, of which each goat can suppl}' 

 from one to one and one-half pounds. For 

 the making of the third of a yard of a cash- 

 mere shawl the wool of seven or eight goats 

 is needed. Under the rule of the Great 

 Mogul forty thousand weavers of shawls 

 worked in Cashmere ; but after that country 

 was made subject to the Afghans this fine 

 industry received a blow from which it has 

 never recovered. 



The Angora goat, which is growing so popu- 

 lar with us, comes from Asia Minor, and takes 

 its name from the ancient commercial city of 



Ankyra, now known as Angora. This animal 

 is well shaped, and has long, broad, pendent 

 ears. The bucks have long, flat, finely curved 

 horns, while those of the ewes are 

 smaller and simpler. The hair of this 

 species is celebrated, and has long 

 been an article of commerce in much 

 demand. The wool is abundant, thick, 

 long, fine, soft, shining, silky, and 

 slightly curled. The color is mostly 

 a brilliant snow-white, although some- 

 times dark patches occur. In summer 

 it is shed in great locks, but soon 

 grows out again. During the hot 

 weather the animals are washed and 

 combed continually to increase the 

 beaut)- of the wool. They are sheared 

 in winter. Most of the wool is sold at 

 Angora, whence it is sent chiefly to 

 England, the e.xportation amounting 

 to millions of pounds. 



The finest Angora wool (called 

 mohair) comes from goats a year old; 

 it deteriorates in the following years, 

 until at si.x years of age it becomes 

 useless. In other climates, especially if damp, it 

 loses its good qualities, which explains why the 

 importation of the animal into America for wool 

 alone has so far not proved very satisfactory. 



V. Improvement Societies 



Influential persons are tr\ing in many coun- 

 tries to improve the breeding of goats ; rewards 



Ye.\kling Angor.^ Buck 



