170 THE ANGORA COAT. 
the fleece and picking by hand the wool from the hair. 
Such was the enthusiasm caused by the experiment, 
that over a thousand persons of all grades and condi- 
tions were engaged in the work. Each person so 
employed received, as remuneration, an elegantly 
engraved certificate, stating that the holder had assisted 
in bringing to a successful result the experiment of His 
Royal Highness in the manufacture of Cashmere goats' 
wool. Some brocades and two beautiful shawls were 
produced by Messrs. Haley, the manufacturers, and 
the hair was also made into a coarse fabric, which was 
shown in contrast with the finer textures. 
Notwithstanding the success of this experiment, and 
the high value of the exquisite textures made from 
Cashmere wool, I am far from thinking the Cashmere 
goat of equal value, in an economic point of view, to 
the Angora. The immense amount of labour required 
to free the Cashmere wool from coarse hairs, and the 
very small quantity of wool produced by each animal, 
are difficulties that are not to be surmounted easily. 
I do not think it impossible for a skilful breeder to 
improve the Cashmere goat, so as to clothe it with a 
fleece all of which should equal the shawl wool 
" pushm," or under down. There is little doubt that, 
by selection, the wool might be increased by slow 
degrees, and the kempy hairs lessened, until a wool- 
bearing animal with a fleece finer than the finest 
Merino wool, and as free from the kempy hairs of 
its early progenitors as is the champion Merino at 
Skipton or Mudgee (where the best specimens of the 
Merino in the world are to be seen), from the hairy 
mantle of his ovine ancestor, the Argali of the Caucasus. 
Possibly the result might sooner be reached by a 
