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The history of silk, cotton, linen, wool, and other fibrous ... - Cd3wd.com

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306 ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE GOAT.<br />

pure Cashmeres. <strong>The</strong> improvement even m the first drop was<br />

so rapid that it induced him to persevere, <strong>and</strong> when I first saw<br />

his small herd they were in the third generation from the males<br />

produced solely by the first cross ; the unwillingness however<br />

<strong>of</strong> M. Polouceau to part with any number <strong>of</strong> them at this pe-<br />

riod (the only alienation he has made from the favorite products<br />

<strong>of</strong> his solicitude being two males <strong>and</strong> two females to the King<br />

<strong>of</strong> Wirtemherg, for the sum <strong>of</strong> 3400 francs,) caused my father<br />

again to postpone his intentions until my return from the Aus-<br />

tralasian Colonies, judging that M. Polonceau would then prob-<br />

ably be enabled to dispose <strong>of</strong> a sufficient number, <strong>and</strong> that the<br />

constancy <strong>and</strong> properties <strong>of</strong> the race woidd by that time be<br />

more decidedly determined.<br />

" On my arrival in Engl<strong>and</strong> at the close <strong>of</strong> 1S31, he again<br />

recurred to his favorite project <strong>of</strong> introducing these animals into<br />

our colonies, for which purpose I went to France with the in-<br />

tention <strong>of</strong> purchasing a small flock <strong>of</strong> M. Polonceau, should I<br />

find all his expectations <strong>of</strong> the Cashmere Angora breed verified,<br />

which having perfectly ascertained, I at length succeeded in<br />

persuading M. Polonceau to cede to me ten females in kid, <strong>and</strong><br />

three males, <strong>and</strong> I fortunately was able to convey the whole in<br />

health to London, with the intention <strong>of</strong> proceeding as speedily as<br />

possible with them to Port Jackson, looking sanguinely forward<br />

not only to their rapid increase but also to crossing the co7nmon<br />

goats <strong>of</strong> the country with this valuable breed, in full expecta-<br />

tion that they may, exclusive <strong>of</strong> their own pure down, be<strong>com</strong>e<br />

thus the means <strong>of</strong> forming a desirable addition to the already<br />

much prized importations fi'om New South Wales <strong>and</strong> Van<br />

Dieman's L<strong>and</strong>. I am led to the conclusion that the latter re-<br />

sult may be ac<strong>com</strong>pUshed, as M. Polonceau, who has tried the<br />

experiment with the native goat <strong>of</strong> France, has obtained ani-<br />

mals <strong>of</strong> the second cross very little inferior to the breed that has<br />

rendered his name so distinguished. He has also crossed the<br />

<strong>com</strong>mon goat with the pvue Cashmere, but only obtained so<br />

tardy an amelioration, that it required eight or ten generations<br />

to produce a down simply equal to their inferior quantity <strong>and</strong><br />

quality when <strong>com</strong>pared to the produce <strong>of</strong> the Cashmere An-<br />

gora."

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