146 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



For the New England Farmer. 

 ABOUT KEEPING GOATS. 



The goat is a very social creature, and readily 

 becomes attached to his protectors, and even to 

 animals different from himself. We have heard 

 complaints that a goat about the house is noisy, 

 but if two or more are kept together they will 

 soon learn to become very contented and quiet. 

 They are frequently kept in stables with horses, 

 under a belief that their peculiar smell contributes 

 to the health of horses, but it is probable that 

 ■whatever benefit is derived comes from the famil- 

 iar companionship of the goats, for horses are fond 

 of company to cheer the solitude. I have a goat 

 which has formed an intimacy with a bantam pul- 

 let. The latter follows her about all day, and 

 roosts near her head at night, which fond atten- 

 tions are returned by various marks of sympath)'. 

 The famous friendship between Robinson CIrusoe 

 and his goats was as natural and sincere on their 

 part as on his. They will become as familiar as 

 dogs, and will come at the call of the voice with a 

 hop, f;kip and jump. "When roaming at large, 

 they regularly return home at night. In Switzer- 

 land, large flocks come down to the farm-houses 

 at night to be milked, and are turned out again in 

 the morning to browse upon the mountains. They 

 stand to be milked as quietly as a cow. A famil- 

 iar illustration of their domesticity is afforded in 

 their serving to draw cliildren's carriages, often 

 appearing to delight in their gay equipages. In 

 India, the children of the Hindoos who have lost 

 mothers were frequently suckled by goats. Trav- 

 ellers report that, in the countries of the Negroes, 

 this is very frequent. The goat comes to the 

 cradle where the infants lie, and manifests the ut- 

 most tenderness toward them. 



The flesh of the older goats is said to be coarse 

 and ill-flavored, but that of the kids when very 

 young is much esteemed. It is freely eaten in Eu- 

 rope, and in the Southern countries it is served at 

 table as regularly as lamb, and by most persons is 

 considered the more delicate of the two. In Wales, 

 where goats used to be very numerous, the 

 haunches are frequently salted and dried, and sup- 

 ply all the uses of bacon, and are called "hung 

 venison." 



The goat is a lascivious and prolific creature. 

 The female goes \vith young upwards of twenty 

 weeks, and usually produces two at a birtli, and 

 sometimes three and even four. She sometimes 

 breeds twice in the year. In the natural state, the 

 coupling season is in November or December, and 

 the kids arc then born in the spring, when the 

 tender herbage apiiears ; and this is the best time, 

 although when m'cII fed slie Avill receive the male 

 at any season. She is fruitful at the age of seven 

 months, but it is considered well that she should 

 not breed before the second year. The usual life 

 of the goat is stated to be from ten to twelve 

 years. 



Goats in the pasture are not likely to be wor- 

 ried by dogs, as sheep are, for they are bold in 

 their own defence, putting themselves in an atti- 

 tude of defiance when provoked by animals, how- 

 ever larger than themselves. A dog that will de- 

 spise a ram and assail a bull, is frequently cowed 

 by the bold demeanor and peculiar and vigorous 

 butting of the goat. 



There is one great objection to the keeping of 



goats in town, which is, that they will devour 

 every plant and small shrub, and bark every tree, 

 within their reach. The latter form of mischief 

 seems to be their especial delight. They must 

 therefore be kept out of the garden, the orchard, 

 and the nursery. In AVales, and other parts of 

 Great Britain, Avhere goats used to be numerous, 

 they have been largely discarded of late years, on 

 account of the damage done by them in cropping 

 the hedges, which are there so common. So in 

 the wide districts of Europe, they are discouraged 

 on account of the injury they do the vines and for- 

 ests. 



The history of the goat is interesting. From 

 the remotest times it has abounded in Europe, 

 Asia and Africa, and has formed a large part of 

 the Avealth of the common people. Its ancient his- 

 tory is coeval with that of the ox and the sheep, 

 and it is frequently mentioned in Scripture as 

 forming with those animals the riches of the pa- 

 triarchal families. His flesh was permitted by 

 Moses to be used as food, and he Avas employed 

 by the Jews as well as by the Egyptians, in re- 

 ligious ceremonies. His form is sculptured on 

 the ancient monuments. In Greece and Rome he 

 was valued for food and raiment. He was dedi- 

 cated to Jupiter, sacrificed to various divinities, 

 and his skin was the iEgis of the Goddess of Wis- 

 dom and Arms. His form was one of the attri- 

 butes of Pan and the Satyrs, indicating the pro- 

 creative power and rustic plenty. The goat was 

 largely cultivated by all the early nations round 

 the Mediterranean Sea, (where the finest kinds 

 now are,) and by the Celtic and Teutonic nations 

 in the North. 



There are numerous varieties of the common 

 goat, determined somewhat by climate and situa- 

 tion. Some naturalists suppose them all to have 

 descended from the species ^gagrus, found Avild in 

 the Caucasian mountains. Others think they 

 came from various distinct species.. The small 

 Guinea goats have been naturalized in America 

 for a hundred years, but preserve their distinctive 

 peculiarities unchanged. 



The uses of this animal are numerous. We 

 hrve spoken of its milk and flesh. The skins, as 

 furs, form warm clothing in the northern countries. 

 Without the wool, they are an important staple of 

 commerce, to be made into leather. From goat 

 skins we have the fine morocco leather for boots 

 and gaiters. The skin of the kid is in universal 

 demand for the manufacture of kid gloves. In 

 Eastern countries, the skin is made into bags for 

 water, wine and oil ; and on the Nile, the Eu- 

 phrates and other rivers, it is seen in the form of 

 buoyant sacks, on Mhich the inhabitants float 

 across those streams. The hair of the goat, M'hich 

 may be sheared like wool, makes a superior rope, 

 esi)ecially serviceable to be used in the water. 

 With ropes of this material, the hardy natives of 

 St. Kilda used to swing themselves over the 

 dreadful precipices of their coast in search of the 

 eggs of sea-fowls. The celebrated goats of Thi- 

 bet, yield a fine wood, of which the splendid and 

 costly Cashmere shawls are woven, with great 

 pains and immense labor. The Goat of Angora, 

 in Asia Minor, furnishf s a long, silky, wavy hair, 

 from which a kind of camlilet is made, much 

 prized for its durability. Of this material are 

 formed the tents of the Arabs, the Turcomans, 

 and all the wandering tribes of Tartary. A simi- 



