1072 PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. Part III. 



tremely resembles sheep, but is far superior to them in alertness, sentiment, and intelli- 

 gence. The goat approaches man without difficulty, is won by kindness, and capable of 

 attachment. The extremely unpleasant odour attending these animals is supposed to be 

 beneficial, and horses appear so much refreshed by it, that a goat is, on this account, often 

 kept in the stables of the great. It is a singvilar local peculiarity, that in Angora only, 

 the animals of the Capra, 0\is, and X^pus tribe, have long soft silky hair. 



7332. The Angora goat, a native of Turkey, is chiefly valued for its exquisitely fine hair down, which 

 grows under its coarse hair, and of which the Cashmere shawls are manufactured. The down is obtained 

 by gently combing them. A considerable number of this breed were imported into France from Persia, in 

 1819, and stationed at St. Omers, with a view to their increase, and the establishment of the shawl manu- 

 facture. The kids of this flock are said to be abundantly covered with down and hair, and superior 

 in strength and appearance to indigenous French kids of the same age. It is a common opinion, that the 

 down of this goat degenerates when the animals are removed from the pasturage of Angora ; but this is 

 likely in part to arise from the neglect of cleaning and washing them, which at Angora is so assiduously 

 attended to. By a late Report of M. Terneaux to the Paris Agricultural Society, the French Angoras 

 have increased in number, and prosper equally with the native variety. 



7333. The Sy7ian goat (Jig. 906.) is remarkable for its pendulous ears, and is common throughout the 

 East, in Egypt, and on the coast of Africa. It has likewise been 

 introduced into Sicily, but can only be kept in health in very 

 warm situations. 



7334 The Chamois goat, a native of Switzerland, is a species of 

 antelope, and will be afterwards noticed. 



7335. The goats of Wales are generally white, and are both 

 stronger and larger than those of other hilly countries. Their 

 flesh is much used by the inhabitants, and often dried and salted, 

 and substituted for bacon. The skins of the kids are much 

 valued for gloves, and were formerly employed in furniture, when 

 painted with rich colours, of which they are i>articularly capable, 

 and embellished with ornamental flowers, and works of silver 

 and gold. The goat may be of some advantage in rocky barren 

 countries, where nothing else can get a support for life. They 

 will climb the steepest i-ocks, and there browse upon briers, 

 heath, and shrubs of various kinds, which other creatures will 

 not taste of. They will feed on grass in pastures ; but, as they 

 love browsing on trees much better, great care should be taken 

 to keep them from valuable plantations. 



7336. The produce of the goat, from which advantage is chiefly obtained, is the milk, which it yields in 

 large quantities, and which is accounted the best milk of all animals. They mix this and cows' milk 

 together in some parts of the kingdom, and a very valuable cheese is made from it. Besides this, the kids 

 or young goats are very fine food, and the best kinds bring forth two or three at a time, and that twice a 

 year. 



7337. Goat's hair is also valuable ; it may be sheared as the wool from sheep, and is excellent for making 

 ropes that are to be used in the water, as they will last a great while longer than those made in the com- 

 mon way. A sort of stuff is also made of it in some places. 



7338. The suet of the goat is also in great esteem, and many of the inhabitants of Caernarvonshire kill 

 them merely for the sake of their fat, which makes candles of a superior quality to the common. Of their 

 horns excellent handles are made for tucks and penknives. The skin is peculiarly well adapted for the 

 glove manufactory, especially that of the kid, as it takes a dye better than any other skin. The old skin 

 is also of great use, being preferred to that of the sheep, and the flesh affords a cheap and plentiful pro- 

 vision in the winter months, particularly when the kids are brought to market. The haunches of the goat 

 are frequently salted and dried, and supply all the uses of bacon : this by the Welsh is called coch yr wdeut 

 or hung venison. 



7339. Tlie kind of goats foi- keeping to advantage should be chosen in this manner: The male 

 should have a large body, his hair should be long, and his legs straight and stiff; the neck should be plain 

 and short, the head smiill and slender, the horns large, the eyes prominent, and the beard long. The 

 female should have a large udder, with large teats, and no horns, or very small ones. Goats should be 

 kept in flocks, that they may not straggle ; and they should have good shelter both in summer and in 

 winter, the heat and cold being both prejudicial to them, and coupled in December. They should have 

 no litter in winter, but only a paved floor kept clean. The kids are to be brought up for the table in the 

 Same manner as our lambs are. 



7340. The Cashmere shawl goat has been successfully introduced into England, by C. T. Tower, Esq. of 

 Weald Hall, Essex j and as that gentleman by this time must have some of his flock to dispose of, we think 

 their introduction among cottagers for tlieir wool, and also, as suggested {Gard. Mag. vol. v. p. 53-2.), for 

 their milk, a fair subject for some of our female readers to speculate on. This variety of the common goat, 

 or probably it may be a distinct species, is a fine-looking animal, and would be very ornamental in a park, 

 on a ruin, on the roof of a cottage, or in a churchyard. It would also be very pleasant to have a home- 

 made Cashmere shawL We shall therefore give all the information we can on the subject from Mr. Tower's 

 account, as published in the last volume (xlvi.) of the Transactions of the Society of Arts. The Cashmere 

 goat was brought from Persia to France during the time of Napoleon, and under his patronage, bv the 

 celebrated M. Terneaux, in 1823. Mr. Tower, happening at that time to be in Paris, purchased four of tnem, 

 two males and two females, and succeeded in conveying them safely to his residence in Essex. The soil of 

 the park at Weald Hall, where they have been kept ever since, is moist, and the situation is much exposed. 

 The animals have, nevertheless, continued in health and multiplied rapidly ; so that his present flock 

 consists of twenty-seven, including the four original ones. Of these latter a polled female, which was old 

 when purchased by him, has every year produced at least one kid, and has twice had twins. Those indi- 

 viduals of which the horns cross are in Persia esteemed the best ; and one of Mr. Tower's last year's kids 

 has this peculiarity. They show no impatience of cold, and are very healthy, requiring only the occa- 

 sional shelter of a shed, in very rough weather. In spring, summer, and autumn, they graze like sheep ; 

 and during winter have been fed with hay, and refuse vegetables from the garden; but their favourite 

 food is gorse ( f/'*lex europte'^a), which they devour eagerly, without being annoyed by its prickles. They 

 damage young plantations, but not more than other goats or deer will do. They breed very early ; three 

 of Mr. Tower's goats this vear produced kids before they were themselves a twelvemonth old. A few 

 produce brown wool ; but that ot far the greater proportion of the goats is white, and this latter is more 

 valuable than the other. The coat is a mixture of long coarse hair, and of short fine wool: this latter 

 begins to be loose early in April ; and is collected easily and expeditiously by combing the animals two or 

 three times, with such a comb as is used for horses' manes. A good deal of the long hair comes off at the 

 same time, but the manufacturer has found no diflSculty in separating it. The produce of a male is about 

 four ounces, and of a female about two ounces. Two pounds of wool as it comes off the goat's back may 

 be estimated to make one shawl, fifty four inches square. It will therefore require ten goats, male and 

 female, to furnish materials for one shawl. Mr. Tower has this year had three shawls made of his wool. 



