of lactation of four to six months. Very few of the common goats of this country will do so well as that. If there are any that reach this standard they ought to be used as foundation stock for an American breed of milch goats.

The quality of the milk from the common goat is said to be as good as that from any other; and the healthfulness of goats' milk is everywhere acknowledged and recommended by those who have investigated the matter.

TARIFF RATES.

Goatskins are admitted free of duty, presumably owing to the great demand in this country and to the fact that they do not come into competition with a domestic industry.

The animals themselves are admitted free of duty, if imported for breeding purposes, upon condition that they are registered by a society recognized by the Government; but there are very few registered goats, other than Angoras, in the world; probably all are confined to England at this time, and so imported goats will be subject to the tariff rate of 20 per cent ad valorem. This fact will probably be of interest only to those who may contemplate importations of common goats from Mexico.

THE QUESTION OF PROFITS.

The purpose in this circular is to give the conditions as accurately as possible and in a simple and complete form so far as they relate to the question of raising common goats in the United States. It is assumed that no one would engage in this or any other enterprise without informing himself as to the conditions that he is likely to deal with in the venture; therefore the facts are given as they appear to the writer, and these ought to enable anyone to determine for himself whether or not it will be profitable to engage in the raising of goats. He will have to take into consideration a score of items of varying importance, such as cost of land, cost of labor, cost and extent of equipment, and cost of the goats, the supply of these animals from which to select his stock, and also the markets for the skins and meat.

The information of the Bureau of Animal Industry is that very few attempts have been made in this country to raise goats for their skins, and of these one only was upon a scale of commercial importance. In this case a company had an abundance of capital, good management, a ranch of cheap land but with an abundance of feed, and employed labor as cheaply as such labor could be had, yet the venture was declared a failure. It should be stated also that this company did its own tanning and manufactured the product into shoes, thus saving to

itself what would otherwise become middlemen's profits. The best net income that the company could realize for skin, carcass, and tallow was 80 cents per head.

The cost of carrying on the raising of these goats is the great drawback to the development of the industry here. A study of the table of imports shows that most of the goatskins come from countries where the cost of production is almost nothing. Similar conditions, except possibly as to the cheapness of land, do not exist in any part of our country.

MEAT ON THE FARM: BUTCHERING, KEEPING, AND

CURING.a

By ANDREW Boss,

Of the College of Agriculture, University of Minnesota.

BUTCHERING THE ANIMALS.

SELECTION OF ANIMALS.

In the selection of animals for meat health should be given first consideration. No matter how fat an animal may be nor how good its form, if it is not in perfect health the best quality of meat can not be obtained. If suffering from fever or any serious derangement of the system, the flesh will not be wholesome food. Animals are often killed that are infected with actinomycosis (lumpy jaw), tuberculosis (consumption), cholera, swine plague, and other diseases of like nature. There is little direct evidence of harmful results from the use of such animals as food when in the early stages of disease, but since it is almost impossible to distinguish between the incipient and the fully developed forms of the disease, or to know when it becomes virulent, the safer course is to discourage the use of anything known to be in imperfect health. Flesh from animals that have recovered from the ravages of disease before slaughter is not likely to cure well and is very difficult to keep after curing. Bruises, broken limbs, or like accidents all have the same effect on the meat as ill health, and, unless the animal can be bled and dressed immediately after such accident, it is not best to use the meat for food. This would hold true especially if there has been a rise in temperature of 2 or more. A rise in temperature at or just previous to slaughtering is almost sure to result in stringy, gluey meat, and to create a tendency to sour in curing.

CONDITION.

First-class meat can not be obtained from animals that are poor in flesh. A reasonable amount of fat must be present to give juiciness and flavor to the flesh, and the fatter an animal is, within reasonable limits, the better will be the meat. The presence of large amounts of fat is not essential, however, to wholesome meat, and it is far more important that an animal be in good health than that it be extremely

a Published also as Farmers' Bulletin No. 183.

fat. "Never kill an animal that is losing flesh" is a maxim followed by butchers, and observation points to a logical reason for the saying. With an animal failing in flesh the muscle fibers are shrinking in volume and contain correspondingly less water. As a consequence the meat is tougher and dryer. When an animal is gaining in flesh the opposite condition obtains and a better quality of meat is the result. Also a better product will be obtained from an animal in only medium flesh, but gaining rapidly, than from a very fat animal that is at a standstill or losing in flesh.

BREEDING AND OTHER FACTORS.

Quality in meat is largely dependent on the health and condition of the animals slaughtered, and yet the best quality of meat is rarely, if ever, obtained from poorly bred stock. The desired "marbling," or admixture of fat and lean, is never of the best in scrub or native stock, nor do the "gaudy" fellows of the show ring, with rolls of fat on their ribs, furnish the ideal in quality of meat. There seems to be a connection between a smooth, even, and deeply fleshed animal and nicely marbled meat that is not easily explained. It is found that the two go together usually, unless the animals are carried along too far, in which case there may be a surplus of "spine," or outside fat.

Fine bones, soft, luxuriant hair, and mellow flesh are always desirable in an animal to be used for meat, as they are indications of small waste and good quality of meat.

AGE FOR KILLING.

Age affects the flavor and texture of the meat to quite an extent. While it is not possible to state the age at which an animal will be best for meat, it is a well-known fact that meat from old animals is more likely to be tough than that from young ones. The flesh of very young animals frequently lacks flavor and is watery. An old animal properly fattened and in good health would be preferable to a young one in poor condition.

Cattle are fit for beef at 18 to 20 months if properly fed, though meat from such animals lacks in flavor. The best meat will be obtained from animals from 30 to 40 months old, though they may be used at any age if in good condition. A calf should not be used for veal under 6 weeks of age, and is at its best when about 10 weeks old and raised on the cow. There is a law in most States against selling veal under 6 weeks of age. Hogs may be used at any age after 6 weeks, but the most profitable age at which to slaughter is 8 to 12 months. Sheep may be likewise used when 2 to 3 months of age and at any time thereafter. They will be at their best previous to reaching 2 years of age, usually at 8 to 12 months.

PREPARATION OF ANIMALS FOR SLAUGHTER.

It is important that an animal intended for slaughter should be kept off feed from twenty-four to thirty-six hours. If kept on full feed the system is gorged and the blood, loaded with assimilated nutrients, is driven to the extremities of the capillaries. In such a condition it is impossible thoroughly to drain out the veins when the animal is bled, and a reddish colored, unattractive carcass will be the result. Food in the stomach decomposes very rapidly after slaughter, and where the dressing is slow the gases generated often flavor the meat. Water should be given freely up to the time of slaughter, as it keeps the temperature normal and helps to wash the effete matter out of the system, resulting in a nicely colored carcass.

The care of animals previous to slaughter has considerable effect on the keeping qualities of the meat. It is highly important that they be not excited in any way sufficiently to raise the temperature of the body. Excitement prevents proper drainage of blood vessels, and if extreme will cause souring of the meat very soon after dressing. In no instance should an animal be killed immediately after a long drive or after a rapid run about the pasture. If heated by such cause it is far better to allow it to rest overnight before killing than to risk the meat spoiling. The flesh of an animal that has been overheated is usually of a pale color, and very often develops a sour or putrid odor within three or four days after being dressed. It is also essential that the animal be carefully handled, so as not to bruise the body. Bruises cause blood to settle in that portion of the body affected, presenting an uninviting appearance, and often cause the loss of a considerable portion of the carcass. A thirty-six-hour fast, plenty of water, careful handling, and rest before slaughter are all important in securing meat in the best condition for use, either fresh or for curing purposes.

KILLING AND DRESSING CATTLE.

Where much meat is prepared for use on the farm it will be best to provide such tools as are necessary for the rapid prosecution of the work. A 7-inch curved skinning knife at 35 cents, an 8-inch straight sticking knife at 35 cents, a 14-inch steel at $1, a 28-inch meat saw at $2, a candlestick scraper at 25 cents, and an ax are all of the tools really essential to rapid dressing (fig. 23). Some means of raising the car casses of beef from the ground or floor and a place to hang the lighter animals should also be provided. What these arrangements shall be depends largely on the amount of work to be done and the circumstances. A block and tackle with 6-inch pulleys (fig. 24) will answer the purpose very well where they may be had and a suitable place is at hand for suspending them. In its absence various appliances may be used, some of which are suggested by accompanying illustrations.