34 NOTES ON ANGORA GOAT FARMING. 



to guide those who may be desirous of commencing the 

 industry. It has been found that the progeny of pure 

 Angora rams and common goat ewes, produce in the third 

 generation — the sire in each case being of pure stock — 

 animals, which in appearance and characteristics are hardly 

 to be distinguished from their male ancestors. Every 

 succeeding cross more nearly approaches perfection, but the 

 plebian taint is almost completely eliminated, and quite 

 sufficiently so for commercial purposes, in the fourth genera- 

 tion. No matter what the colour of the female goat, black, 

 brown, or grey, her offspring present the male characteristics 

 to a pronounced degree, and in the third cross nearly every 

 trace of colour has disappeared. 



Thus a stock-farmer has at his disposal practically 

 unlimited scope for increasing his general flock. It is 

 manifest, however, that a small stud herd would have to be 

 maintained to keep up the supply of pure bred males, which 

 are of course alone used for breeding purposes, and the 

 purchase of a few carefully selected Angora ewes would there- 

 fore be necessary. Many objections and as many defences of 

 cross-breeding have been ably discussed at various times. On 

 this subject Sir Samuel Wilson writes : — " It is stated by Mr. 

 Y. A. Niessen that the hair from the half-bred Angora is 

 ivorth a shilling per pound, that from the three-quarter-bred, 

 one shilling and sixpence per pound, that of the third cross, 

 ■or seven-eighths-bred, would nearly equal in value that from 

 the pure bred, and the fleece of the fifteen-sixteenths, or 

 fourth remove, would be quite equal to that of the sire in 

 purity, lustre, fineness, and length of fleece." He quotes also 

 a letter addressed to the President of the Victorian 

 Acclimatisation Society from the Hon. Eobert Simson, " a 

 large sheepowner, and a distinguished breeder of the Merino," 

 •dated 18th February, 1873. who enclosed samples of hair from 

 descendants of three-quarter-bred ewes from the Cape 

 Colony, and a pure bred ram. In regard to which Sir 

 Samuel states : — " The specimens were all of excellent quality 

 and excepting a greater degree of lustre which those from 

 the pure bred Angora exhibited, they appeared so equal in 

 value as scarcely to be distinguishable from each other. On 

 the question of the cross between the Angora and 

 common goat, I am ready to admit that crossing with the 

 Angora, with a view gradually to improve the common 

 goat, may produce valuable results ; I wish it to be 

 clearly understood that such animals or their progeny, 

 even if pure sires be used for a thousand generations, can 

 never become pure bred. The stain can never be washed 

 away. Each cross with the pure blood reduces it by one 

 half, but as division is infinite it never entirely 

 disappears." 



