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NOTES ON" ANGOEA GOAT FARMING. 

 By James Andrew. 



This is not tlie first occasion on wHch the advantages and 

 profits of Angora goat farming have been brought under the 

 notice of the Eoyal Society of Tasmania, but as fifteen years 

 have elapsed since the late Mr. John Swan read a paper on 

 the subject, and the Honorary Secretary, Dr. Agnew, laid 

 upon the table a letter with covering correspondence from 

 the British Consul at Angora, giving particulars of the 

 industry as conducted in Asia Minor, I may be excused for 

 re-opening the question. 



Since 1874, when this effort was made to stimulate popular 

 interest in favour of a fair trial, in Tasmania, for a descrip- 

 tion of stock farming elsewhere found so profitable, little or 

 nothing has been done ; and although a few very small flocks 

 of indifferently bred goats still remain in the colony, they do 

 not appear to receive the attention they merit, and mohair, as 

 the fleece of the Angora is termed in trade returns, does not 

 figure amongst our exports. 



It is my aim in submitting the following notes, to revive if 

 possible the spirit of experiment which induced Mr. Swan — 

 an experienced flock owner — to advocate the claims of goat 

 farming as worthy of careful consideration. 



In Asia Minor, the natural habitat of the Angora goat, 

 whence the progenitors of all the stock now found in 

 America, Africa and Australia were obtained, the hair of 

 some of the best flocks, which is invariably pure white, was 

 at one time so highly valued that its export was prohibited, 

 and later, permission was granted to send it out of the 

 country in a manufactured state only. At the present time 

 the value of the hair exported from the province amounts 

 to .£200,000 per annum, which, however, is far exceeded by 

 the production of other countries in which goat farming has 

 become a settled industry. 



The Cape Colony owes the introduction there of Angora 

 goats, in the first instance, to aColonel Henderson of Bombayj; 

 afterwards some were forwarded to the colony through Sir 

 Titus Salt, who was the first English manufacturer of textile 

 fabrics from their hair, and later Messrs. Mosenthal Bros., in 

 the year 1856, secured some pure bred animals from Asia 

 Minor. Since then there have been many private importa- 

 tions of stud stock, one of the most important of which was 

 that of a Mr. J. B. Evans, who personally selected goats in 

 the mountain districts round Angora. 



