VI 



MAMMALS AS A SOURCE OF VALUABLE PRODUCTS 

 OTHER THAN HUMAN FOOD 



The relations of mammals to the human food supply naturally pre- 

 sents two distinct, contrasting phases, a productive one and a de- 

 structive one, which are considered in separate chapters. The rela- 

 tions of mammals to products other than human foods presents similar 

 phases," also separately treated. Herein we take up the productive 

 phase, much more pleasant to contemplate than the other. In addition 

 to meat, milk, leather, furs and skins, which are more fully considered 

 in other chapters, there is a long list of other useful products obtained 

 from mammals, only a few of which may be mentioned, in the limited 

 space at our disposal, for purposes of illustration, to which the reader 

 may add many others from his own experience or observation. 



Wool immediately suggests itself as a likely candidate for a posi- 

 tion at the head of the list, because of its importance to the human 

 race. The domestic production of wool in the United States in 1925 

 was placed at 301,060,000 pounds, imports 336,646,000 pounds and 

 exports 7,360,000 pounds. The combined imports of wool and mohair 

 were valued at $141,957,000 and of wool manufactures at 

 $73,900,000.* The world's production of wool in 1916 was estimated 

 at 2,717,000,000 pounds. 2 Though estimates and actual statistics vary 

 somewhat from year to year, the figures for one year usually may be 

 taken as at least a rough approximation to those of other years. 



The foregoing figures apparently include only wool from sheep, 

 but there are other domesticated animals that yield wool or very simi- 

 lar products. The angora goat, from which mohair is obtained, is be- 

 coming very important in the United States and some other countries. 

 The mohair clip in this country in 1909 was valued at $901,597, the 

 production having been 454,932 fleeces in 1899 and 1,682,912 in 

 1909^ while in 1921 it was 6,000,000 pounds (two or three pounds 



1 Statistical Abstract of the United States for 1925, U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 

 1926. For 1927 see Separate No. 976, from Yearbook U. S. Dept. Agric. for 1927, p. 

 1036. 



z Holmes, Wool : Production, foreign trade, supply and consumption, Yearbook 

 U. S. Dept. Agric. for 1917, pp. 401-424. 



3 Heller, The Angora goat, U. S. Dept. Agric. Farmers' Bull. No. 573, 1914. 



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