ANGORA CROSSES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 476, 7 April 1909, Page 5

ANGORA CROSSES.

THE WEIGHT OF THE CLIPS. Those, New Zealand farmers who have obtained an Angora goat to eat down their blackberries will no doubt be interested "in' anything concerning the species in Australia and especially in regard to the weight of the annual olip. Owing to the difficulty—almost an impossibility—of Queensland pastoralists importing purebred Angoras, it looks as if the colony .must depend upon what is • lias got, and start in-to build up the industry as tast as nature will permit. This .should not bo impossible, as there are some'good herds there now. The climate is eminently suitable, and there'are millions of acres at present practicaUy unused available for the purpose. In building up a flocktho best buck obtainable is wanted. The purer he is the more rapid will be the success with crossbreeding, and most breeders presumably will S are ,v*P-start.tins way.- With a good buck the third and fourth crosses are hardly to be distinguished from pur.ebreds, although the breeder-has to go further than that'before ?u ! s -.? ett , m S a g°°d return. It is reckoned that the first cross or half-bred will-not pay m i^ii^ 6 sec ? nd cross win shear about lib t0. : 1}% at Bd,; third cross, 21b. to 31b. Jt-lldij fourth:crpss 311b to 4lb at Is. to Is. ; 21b.;.fifth-cross,.about full blood, will shear about.,'.4lb. to 61b., worth from Is. to Is. 4d When that stage is reached, the Queensland breeder sots out, by selection and management, to work'his flock up to get a clip running from ,101b. to 121b., or even more, for which;a good price is to bo obtained, averaging say 4s. per lb.. A buck will serve forty or fatty-does, and a new buck should bo in/roduced with : the-.third .generation. ' ! '