CHAPTER LXIV 



THE MILCH GOAT 



The goat as a milk producer has long had a recognized place 

 among the poorer people of the various countries of the world. 

 Among common goats a yield of a quart a day is not uncommon. 

 Some breeds of goats are quite heavy producers of milk, as will 

 be shown further on. Goats' milk is quite white in color and 

 contains about four and one-half per cent of fat and somewhat 

 more albumen than cows' milk. Where goats are properly kept, 

 under clean conditions, and the milk properly drawn and cared 

 for, no unpleasant flavor or odor is connected with it. 



Varieties of milk producing goats occur in several countries, 

 some of which are specially bred for their value as milkers. The 

 common goat seen in America and the Angora produce milk, 

 but milking families of these have not as yet been much developed. 

 The following are the leading breeds of milch goats. 



The Maltese goat is especially bred on the island of Malta in 

 the Mediterranean Sea. The island of 95 square miles supports 

 a population of about 200,000 people, and nearly 30,000 goats 

 and 900 cows are used in milk production. Maltese goats are 

 usually hornless, the body is compact, and the legs short. The 

 ears are carried rather horizontally and are fairly long. In color 

 they are usually white, with some red markings, and have long 

 hair. The udders are very large, of much capacity, and come 

 quite near to the ground. This is one of the best milking breeds 

 of goats. They milk for quite a long period, and the better 

 individuals produce from three to four quarts a day. Whether 

 this breed would do well in the cold sections of America, where 

 much moisture is prevalent in winter, is not yet demonstrated. 

 In the summer of 1905 the late Professor G. F. Thompson of 

 the United States Department of Agriculture went to Malta and 

 imported to this country 68 of these goats, and their adaptability 



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