THE ANGOIIA GOAT. 197 
they are excellent mothers ; and had this practice been adopted 
from the first, my flock would now have been double its present 
number. 
" I weighed the fleeces of the three best goats at last shearing, 
and they gave I71bs. of spout-washed wool as white as snow, and 
last winter I killed two wethers full mouthed, which each 
weighed when dressed 801bs., the flesh of which when put upon 
the table was pronounced most delicious, being more rich and 
juicy than the best Merino mutton. 
"These goats are very hardy and require no looking after, 
except at lambing time ; at all other seasons they take good care 
of themselves, and if one had a good sized flock of them, I 
believe they would prove more profitable than sheep. 
"Knowing the interest you take in acclimatisation, I have 
taken the liberty of enclosing you these samples of wool from a 
private flock, to lay before the Society. 
" I am, my dear Dr. Black, yours very truly, 
"HOBEET SiMSON." 
The samples of mohair enclosed with this letter 
were sent to me by Dr. Black for examination and 
comparison with that from the pure flock. The speci- 
mens were aU of excellent quality, and excepting a 
greater degree of lustre, which those from the pure-bred 
Angoras 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. As the asymptote in its curve 
