PRACTICAL ANGORA GOAT RAISING. 55 



regardless of fashions, and one which, when put upon 

 the market, will dress the most possible pounds of 

 desirable meat, and yield a readily marketable skin. 

 There are not many such animals on the market to- 

 day, but the time when there will be plenty is 

 coming. We have the fineness of fiber; we have the 

 density of weight of fleece; we have the covering of 

 the animal and the size and stamina of the individ- 

 ual, and we have breeders who are endeavoring to 

 unite combinations to produce the Angora of the 

 future. But while we are without the ideal, one 

 should choose that point which is hardest to attain, 

 most necessary for the best paying animal, and work 

 especially for that. That point is fineness of fiber, 

 always remembering freeness from kemp. There 

 are many large goats, many heavy shearing goats, 

 but there are very few fine fibered comparatively free 

 from kemp goats. One should not make the mistake 

 of neglecting size and weight of fleece. There are 

 few animals which will respond more rapidly to care- 

 ful crossing than the Angora goat. A buck will 

 usually stamp his individuality upon every kid, hence 

 the necessity of carefully selecting breeding stock. 



GESTATION. 



The period of gestation varies slightly with the 

 individual, but the average may be approximately 

 stated as one hundred and forty-seven days, or about 

 five months. Both the bucks and the does have a 



