Angora Goats-

THE first purebred Angora goats were found in Turkey and from the dawn of history until the nineteenth century the region known as Angora was the world's only important Angora goat raising country. The Turks being very reluctant to export these Mohair bearing animals the development of the industry in other countries was slow. In 1849 the first Angora goats were im-ported into the United States from Turkey and Asia Minor. Today the United States ranks first in importance and productiveness, with approximately 4,500,000 Angoras By Mrs. W. B. Young producing from 16 to 18 million pounds of Mohair a year.

Many attempts were made to establish Angora goats in England but on account of unfavorable climate conditions none of these attemps was successful.

The greatest concentration of Angora goats in the United States is found in the Southwestern and Pacific regions.

About two-thirds of the total production is found in Texas and more than half the remainder are in Arizona and New Mexico. The Angora goat industry in Arizona is comparatively new. However, the records show that the Angora goats have been here over a half a century.

Since the Angora goats thrive better in a climate moderately warm and not too much moisture, Arizona climate is especially favorable to this important industry. As a diet they consume mostly a variety of browse but they also require some green weeds or grass, especially in the spring of the year during kidding season. They will snort with disdain at dirty or stale water.

The Angora goat, being a delicate creaNatureA band of 1700 Angora goats now being run on Arizona range lands. In the background, the home of an Arizona rancher near Kirkland, where there are many Angora goats.

Nature, must be sheltered after shearing until dangers of storms is over or until he grows enough Mohair to protect him from severe storms. Shearing takes place twice a year hence comes Mohair. The word Mohair, is a derivative from the Arabian word "Muhayyar" meaning choice or select. Mohair, is the fleece shorn from the Angora goat as wool is the fleece shorn from the sheep. They are not one and the same.. Mohair fibers are longer, smoother, more lustrous, stronger and more resilient than the wool fibers.

Mohair dates back to those ancient days when the Lord commanded the Hebrew to "Make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the Tabernacle." And today its beauty in rugs, tapestry and upholstery adds a touch of oriental splendor.

Mohair is used in the upholstering of automobiles, airplanes, trains, busses, furniture, in fact wherever a lasting and luxurious upholstery is desired. It is also used in the making of palm beach cloth used for suits, braids, laces, hats, piled fabrics for coats and many other uses. Because Mohair takes dyes brilliantly and retains its color so well, its finished materials are very desirable for window draperies which are exposed to the hot sun rays. In addition Mohair is combined with wool and cotton for many uses. Always the combination of Mohair makes the finished material more lasting.

A new experiment is now being tried out using Mohair material in place of cotton. For the first time in history, Mohair is now playing an important part in war maneuvers of the U. S. army. Each time the U. S. army artillery fires a shell in their practice maneuvers seven small Mohair bags that incase the ammunition inside the shell are blasted into the air. Due to the durability of the Mohair material, the army officers, have been very favorable and they believe the use of Mohair bags will continue.

In 1909 the income from Mohair to the State of Arizona, quoting government statistics, was $65,000. In 1938 the same source quoted the income from this industry to be $221,000. In 1939 the high price of Mohair has raised this income to $301,000. All of this goes to show that the Arizona goat industry in Arizona is fast becoming an important industry. What sort of a creature is this goat with his sudden snorts of distaste, his insatiable curosity, this animal which cans the sunshine, wraps into the long staple of his Mohair and holds it safe for ages, this animal with his beautiful long, curly, white coat of hair, this creature which is so fastidious and yet such a rough neck?

Go look at him on his native range but when you approach too near there will be a hasty glance, a couple of put, puts and away he will go, only to stop and look at you after he has run perhaps twenty or thirty feet, but if he is being herded and you remain per-fectly still curosity will get the best of him and back he will come to investigate. If you'll continue to remain still he will be nibbling your clothes in a few minutes but he will not allow you to touch him. He is a wild young fellow but intel-ligent. He is happiest when playing on large rocks, bending trees or your automobile. (Per-haps he feels he has an interest in that automobile.) He se-

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Otry is comparatively new in Arizona, Angora goats have been here for over a half century.