472 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Nov., 1901. 
Estate, one buck and two does, all pure bred; Mr. Sabine remarking in a note, 
‘The animals I picked myself, and they are very nice.’ These goats were railed 
up—634 miles—an expensive journey. In 1898, at the sale of the late Mr. 
Price Maurice’s Angora flock, from the ‘ Castumbul’ Estate, I bought 144: head. 
Twenty of these were bucks, one especially selected. Two hundred and eighty- 
nine were sold on that day, that number, | believe, being the total of the flock. 
My goats have been kept pure, are carefully culled every year, with the object 
of retaining the fine quality of the mohair, and have always been shepherded. 
Last year my mohair, somewhat affected by drought, sold in London, 17th 
October, for 14d. per lb. for fleece, unclassed ; locks for 74d. per lb. Merino 
fleece from this district, in most cases, last year did not reach 5d. per lb.; much 
of it very much lower. In 1889 mohair from this flock sold in London, October, 
at best fleece, 2s. per lb.; other, 1s. 6¢d.; locks, 64d. ‘Turkey Fair,’ same sales, 
203d. for fleece. In 1898, from same flock, fleece and locks mixed, Is. 5d. per 
Ib. Same sales ‘Turkey Fair’ sold at 163d. for fleece. I quote these figures 
to show that mohair from my flock has held its own at the world’s sales. What 
is necessary for the growth of the finest mohair is a dry, sunshiny climate. 
This we certainly have here. The meat of the half-bred wether is preferred 
to ordinary mutton, if killed young. Last year I sold to a local butcher 100 
wethers, half-bred, and the meat was not objected to by any of his customers. 
I may mention that my flock now numbers 600 head of pure and grade goats ; 
none but pure and selected bucks are used. Pure bucks are for sale from this 
flock. I noticed in my last account sales, rendered on account of sale of goat- 
skins, that one skin, a half-bred wether’s, brought 4s. 3d. I think this a good 
price, and shows that once known the animal (goat) will be a profitable one. 
I shear my goats every eight months. They kid once a year.” 
[It is a pity that Mr. Kempe has not mentioned the average weight of the 
fleece, as this is what inquirers particularly want to know. We believe that 
22 lb. of wool is the average, but a South African goat farmer sheared an 
average of 6 lb. per fleece, and 15 1b. from one fine male.—Ed. Q.4.¥J.] 
ANGORA GOATS AT KILKIVAN. 
The establishment of new industries in a State where men of means are 
not too numerous amongst the rural population is necessarily a matter of time. 
There appears to be a growing desire in the country districts to enter upon the 
breeding of Angora goats, if we may judge by the number of letters we receive 
asking for information concerning these animals. We have been handed the 
following letter by Mr. C. M. Jenkinson, M.L.A., from a gentleman at Kil- 
kivan, in the Burnett district, which will show what one enterprising settler at 
least is doing in the goat-breeding way :— : 
More than thirty-five years ago my parents brought common goats with 
them from New South Wales. We crossed them with the Angora about four 
years ago, and now have some very good ones. If there were a law for the 
protection of the Angora, 1 would get a purebred buck and thus improve the 
fleece, making it of value for export, the lower grades not being of much value. 
Skins such as the one I gave you are worth 12s. 6d. each, and generally they 
range from 5s. to £1 each in price. [We have seen the skin referred to, and 
it was certainly a very beautiful one, the mohair’ being very long, silky, and 
plentiful —Ed. Q.4.J.] We have as yet not sold any of the mohair. Including 
kids, we have about 400 now. They are very easily kept and very healthy. 
Whilst the cattle were dying with ticks and red water, the goats were feeding 
all round them, and were not in the least affected, nor did we ever find a tick 
on them. The flesh of the Angora is superior to mutton, being finer in the 
grain, and that of the kids is a great delicacy. 
