tillage. To clear this land by ordinary methods requires an expenditure of money varying from $5 to $40 per acre. If goats can do this work just as thoroughly and at no other outlay than their own cost and that of a good fence and a shed, the question arises whether it is not more economical to employ them than to depend upon the laborious process of the grubbing hoe.

AS COMPARED WITH ANGORAS.

The thoughtful farmer, however, will survey all sources of income and outgo. He will consider the questions of disposal of the skins and the meat and of the animals themselves if he should produce a surplus or have no further need of them. These matters are discussed under other heads, but a little investigation will no doubt soon convince the farmer that the common goat is not so promising of profit as the Angora breed. The latter goat produces a fleece for which there is good demand at good prices, while the common goat contributes nothing of this kind. The Angora's flesh at all ages is nutritious and more palatable than that of the common breed; it is less inclined to jump or climb; there is an entire absence of the ill odor characteristic of bucks of the common breed, except during the rutting season. The value of the skins can not be compared, owing to an unsteady market for the Angora skins and the entire absence of prices for the very few domestic skins of the common goat that find their way to market. The manurial value is the same for both breeds. The Angora usually has but one kid a year, but there are occasional flocks where there are many pairs of twins. On the other hand, the rule among common goats is twins, and often triplets are dropped.

In addition to these facts there is profit in keeping Angoras for mohair production even after they may have served their purpose in clearing up land for cultivation. The keeping of common goats after this work is done is dependent upon the value of their skins and meat. At this time there is a ready sale for Angoras, while it can not be said that there is a market for the common breed, and one can hardly be developed if there is no profit in raising them for their skins.

AS MILK PRODUCERS.

The number of goats kept in the United States for milk production is known to be very small; it is also known that these are principally of the common breed, although there are occasional individuals among the Angoras that are excellent milkers.

A public-spirited gentleman of New Jersey has for many years been endeavoring to convert the common goat into a clean, healthful, harly milch goat, and he has had pretty fair success. A good milch goat is one that will give at least two quarts of milk per day and have a period

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."

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 20 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

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.