668 SHEEP 



two importations and others in 1866 and 1867. About 1867 

 Messrs. I. S. Diehl and C. S. Brown imported 160 head and 

 placed them on the farm of Mr. Brown at Newark, New Jersey. 

 A number of other importations followed the above — notably that 

 of John S. Harris of California, in 1876 ; Dr. W. C. Bailey of the 

 same state, in 1901 (both of whom made personal selections in 

 Asia Minor) ; and that of G. A. Hoerle of Kansas, who, in 1904, 

 landed 147 head at New York from Cape Colony. 



The characteristics of the Angora goat are as follows : The 

 head (which should be broad at the forehead and wide at the 

 muzzle) from the eyes down is covered with white hair, the lower 

 jaw having a beard of fine hair. Horns surmount the head of each 

 sex — those of the male may be eighteen to twenty inches long, 

 turning upward and outward, with a backward spiral twist, the 

 tips widely separated ; while the horns of the female, which attain 

 a length of eight to ten inches, grow upward and point backward, 

 with but little twist. The ears usually are large, six to eight inches 

 long, and pendent. In some cases, however, the ears are foxlike 

 — short, pointed, and pricked. The eye should be bright and of 

 good size. The breast should be full, the shoulders well laid, the 

 back straight and level, the ribs well sprung and deep, and the legs 

 short. There is a tendency to steepness of rump, which is regarded 

 as a serious objection. A pink skin is quite the thing, and no spots 

 are tolerated by qualified judges. In quality the Angora ranks 

 as superior. In temperament the breed is very quiet and easily 

 managed. The musky odor of the common goat is not prevalent, 

 unless with the males and then only during the breeding season. 



The fleece of the Angora is its most striking and important 

 feature. It is commercially known as mohair. It differs from 

 wool in haying no exterior scales and not possessing the felting 

 property common with wool. It also has a lustrous or silky quality 

 which is most highly valued, for the greater the luster the higher 

 the market value. The fleece should be pure white and com- 

 pletely cover the body, " as dense on the belly and neck as on 

 the back and sides." In some cases the head is crowned with a 

 topknot, which falls in ringlets over the face or projects over the 

 forehead only. The mohair attains a length of eight or ten inches 

 during a year of growth and hangs in ringlets, which, Thompson 



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