CHAPTER VIII 



GOAT BREEDING AS A VOCATION FOR WOMEN 



Special Fitness of Women for This Work. — In look- 

 ing over the field of the milk goat industry, one is im- 

 pressed with the number of women who are engaged in 

 this work, and by the evident leadership which many have 

 achieved. Even before the first importations it was a 

 woman, Mrs. Edward Roby, of Chicago, who was the 

 first to awaken interest and initiate effort in behalf of the 

 milk goat. Although she had only the common Ameri- 

 can goat to work with, she accomplished a great deal, by 

 careful selection and breeding, toward building up a 

 herd of profitable milkers. But she accomplished more 

 by arousing the interest which led to the importation of 

 pure bred milk stock and the consequent rapid develop- 

 ment of the industry. Since those early importations it 

 has been in the main women who have had the vision to 

 foresee the possibilities of the milk goat, and the courage 

 to devote themselves to pioneer work in this field. 



' Reasons. — Nor is the reason far to seek. For the 

 development of the milk goat has for its fundamental 

 and always essential motive the desire to supply to little 



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