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ARM A N D IT1 ANCH F I ULLETIN Vol. 23, No. 4 April 1968 THE MERCURIAL M O H A IR MARKET The world mohair industry took a breather last year from the frantic ups and downs that have long dominated its history, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service. Production of mohair (the silky fleece of Angora goats) in 1967 declined about 4 percent from the near record level of the preceding year, while pre liminary data indicate little change in the vol ume of trade. In view of past trade swings in the mohair industry, research workers are per sistent in their efforts toward developing uses for the commodity that are more highly depen dent upon reliable demand than upon fashion cycles that disrupt long-range production and marketing plans. The United States holds first place in the production of mohair, and most of the U.S. mohair is produced in Texas. The smaller world clip of mohair last year is attributed to a 4percent decrease in the number of goats on farms and ranches in the United States, where the 1967 clip was off 5 percent (to a level of 28 million pounds). The year 1967 was the first time the United States registered a decline in output since it joined Turkey and South Africa as major producers of mohair. Despite the decrease in world production of mohair, exports of this commodity on the world market continued to rise from the low level of 20.6 million pounds achieved in 1964. Ship ments climbed to 33.1 million pounds in 1966, an increase due mainly to larger exports from South Africa and the United States. In 1967, mohair exports probably held steady with those in the preceding year. F E D E R A L R E S E R V E DALLAS, The FAS says that neither dramatic gains nor losses are expected in the mohair industry during 1968. Traditionally, this “feast or fam ine” fiber — which to date has been used almost exclusively for apparel — has a reputation for wide and abrupt market fluctuations. This sit uation has led to extremely high production peaks in a number of years, with corresponding profits for both producers and processors. Equally memorable, however, are the unfa vorable years in the mohair industry. Price competition from wool led to a widespread re placement of Angora goats by merino sheep in South Africa between 1912 and 1930 and caused a sharp decrease in mohair production during those years. In 1957-58, a sharp decline in mohair output in Turkey resulted from out breaks of foot-and-mouth disease and insuffi cient feed supplies. Style changes by the fashion industry influenced a 50-percent reduction in mohair exports in 1964 from the previous year’s total — a drop that was followed by a record output in 1965. The first Angora goats to reach the United States were brought to this country in 1849 by Dr. James Davis. Further imports were made in later years, and the raising of goats spread rapidly across the southwestern United States. Currently, about 97 percent of all the goats clipped for mohair in the Nation are in Texas. The remaining mohair is produced in Arizona, California, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah. The few goats in other sec tions of the country are kept primarily to rid pastures of brush. B A N K TEXAS OF D A L L A S Today, the United States is the world’s larg est producer of mohair, a position which it has held since replacing Turkey in that spot. Esti mates for 1967 place U.S. output at 28.0 mil lion pounds out of the world total of 62.8 million pounds. In 1956, the United States out ranked Turkey for the first time; and 2 years later, U.S. exports of mohair— valued at $11.9 million— accounted for over three-fourths of domestic output. increased. Cotton registered the greatest per centage decrease in harvested acreage (39 percent), while sorghums showed the largest gain in percentage of harvested acres fertilized (30 percent). The decrease in harvested crop acreage was more than offset by a gain in the percentage of harvested acres fertilized. The net result was a rise in the quantity of fertilizer used. Fertilizer use on wheat increased 95,324 tons, or 266 percent. Another major change of recent years in the notably erratic market for mohair has been the The Oklahoma Experiment Station says that rapid escalation of the United Kingdom to the utilization of fertilizer has increased primarily place of the world’s largest importer of this because of higher applications per fertilized commodity. The increased consumption ap acre. This fact is especially true of nitrogen. parently is due to the British manufacture of Rates of nitrogen application on sorghum, hay a wide range of novelty fabrics made of and crop pasture, and “other crops” about dou blended fibers. bled; and those on wheat, cotton, and improved permanent pasture approximately tripled. Ap The development of new uses for mohair plication rates of phosphorus generally were presents a problem because it is a specialty slightly lower, but those of potash were a little fiber for which man-made and other fibers can higher. be substituted readily; however, the luster and durability of mohair make it uniquely well Cool Heads! suited for use in certain worsted blends, plushes, and linings. Coarse, less expensive mo “Cool-headed” cows give more milk during hair is used for carpeting, draperies, blankets, hot summer months than cows whose heads are and upholstery for automobiles and furniture. not kept cool, according to a study by the U.S. Although approximately 40 percent of the Department of Agriculture. In USDA tests, demand for mohair originates in the world’s cows whose heads and necks were held in en high-fashion clothing industry, some stabiliza closures cooled to 60° Fahrenheit gave from tion of the market has begun recently in line 15 to 20 percent more milk than those housed with increased nonfashion use of the fiber. in an 85° Fahrenheit barn. The purpose of the study was to find ways to increase milk produc Despite current efforts toward market sta tion at a time when the number of milk cows bilization, which ultimately should lead to in the United States is decreasing and the pop expansion, demand for mohair probably will ulation is growing. remain for some time largely dependent upon fashion trends and economic prosperity in the The study of how various temperatures af Western World, according to the FAS. The fect milk production in hot climates was con extreme fluctuations in demand and prices of ducted by G. LeRoy Hahn, Agricultural Engi the past probably will continue to be character neer with the USDA’s Agricultural Research istic of the industry. Service, in cooperation with the University of Missouri. Previous research by the ARS has More Fertilizer Instead of More Land shown that a cool, pleasant environment boosts Research at the Oklahoma Agricultural Ex milk production. Most dairymen are hesitant periment Station shows that fertilizer is being to air-condition their barns, however, because substituted more and more for land and other of high costs of installation, operation, and capital. The acreage of crops harvested (ex maintenance. cluding improved permanent pasture) has Reduced cost is the principal advantage of decreased, but the percentage fertilized has cooling only the heads and necks of the cows in order to increase milk production during hot weather. It is less expensive to cool a rela tively small enclosure than to air-condition an entire barn. Moreover, cooling only the air within the enclosure presents no problems of dust, odor, or ammonia accumulation (prob lems which are associated with recirculated air) since ventilating fans can operate normally in the rest of the barn. Grain Sorghum Yields Upped Substantial increases in grain sorghum yields have resulted from narrow-row and double row spacing in recent trials which were conducted by the Texas A gricultural Experi ment Station on dryland, up land soils of the Grand Prairie near McGregor, Texas. There were no important differences in yields as a result of planting rates, but there were highly significant differences due to row spacing, ac cording to M. J. Norris, Agronomist with the Livestock and Forage Research Center, located near McGregor. Seeding in narrow rows and double rows re sulted in grain yield increases ranging from 10 to 30 percent. Row spacings of 10, 20, and 40 inches at planting rates of 4, 6, 8, and 10 pounds per acre were used with grain sorghum during a 3-year period. Other row spacing ex periments were made using a uniform planting rate of 7 pounds per acre, including compari sons of single rows on lister beds 40 inches apart; double rows spaced 12 inches on lister beds spaced 40 inches apart; and grain sown on a flat seedbed with a grain drill spacing of 14 inches between drill openings. before making any major changes in perma nent facilities. With such a master plan, a set of facilities for the specific production enter prise can be developed. Before deciding the fate of an old building, the structural condition of the building must be determined. The foundation, walls, roof, interior supports, and framing should be checked carefully. A major cash outlay for repairs may make it feasible to demolish the present structure. Another determination is whether the ar rangement and location of the old building lend themselves to be included in the new sys tem at a remodeling cost less than that for a new building. The post spacing, ceiling height, and general arrangement should match those which would be planned for a new facility. The cost of remodeling, together with any addition, should be compared with the cost of a com pletely new building, says Mr. Allen. The engineer concludes that some old build ings can be converted economically and inte grated into a well-arranged new or enlarged production. He suggests a thorough cost and use study as the basis for making a sound decision on the use of an old building. New Potato Variety Released Alamo — a new high-yielding and widely adapted potato variety — has been released to seed producers, reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Developed cooperatively by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, the new variety is especially adapted for heatprocessed products such as canned soups, po tato chips, and dehydrated foods. In addition, Alamo potatoes are good for general family consumption. Tear Down or Remodel? Old buildings can pose a problem to the The new potato variety shows marked re farmer who is planning enlarged or more mod sistance to the common races of late blight, ern facilities, points out W. S. Allen, Extension common scab, new necrosis following leaf roll Agricultural Engineer at Texas A&M Univer infection, and mild mosaic. Alamo is mediumsity. Quick decisions as to whether to use old early maturing. buildings or to remove them could result in Tests in 1965-66 compared Alamo with costly mistakes. In order to make maximum use of the farm and family resources, a long Irish Cobbler, Katahdin, and Kennebec potato time plan for the farm should be developed varieties. Yields of Alamo, Katahdin, and Ken nebec were about the same in Maine. Alamo was the highest producer in Texas and out produced Irish Cobbler in both Maine and Texas. A limited amount of Alamo potato seed is available to certified seed producers for in crease in 1968. Requests for the seed should be addressed to David R. Wilson, Aroostook Farm, Maine Agricultural Experiment Station, Presque Isle, Maine 04769. Alamo seed will be generally available to growers for the 1969 planting. The USDA has no Alamo potato seed for distribution. Brimming Rice Bowl The 1967-68 world rice crop (excluding that of Communist Asia) is expected to sur pass the previous record harvest of 1964-65 by 4 percent, reports the Foreign Agricultural Service. Growers throughout the world in creased rice acreages, and record yields are expected as a result of generally favorable weather conditions and further use of improved cultivation methods. World production of rough rice this season is forecast at a record 179 million tons, an increase of 10 percent from the reduced out put of 1966-67. The previous peak harvest in 1964-65 amounted to 171.4 million tons, and production during the 5 years ended 1964-65 averaged 160.0 million tons annually. The largest gains in the current year’s output are in India and Pakistan, where production of rice is up 26 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Loose Stacking of Hay Stages a Comeback The old practice of stacking loose hay in the field is staging a comeback, points out Dr. Neal Pratt, Extension Pasture Specialist at Texas A&M University. With modern equip ment, stacking loose hay is a good way to reduce harvesting and storage costs. There is very little investment in storage facilities when hay is stacked loosely since no barn is necessary. Poles, net wire, and frames are the only items needed to hold the stack together; consequently, hay can be harvested and stacked for about half the cost of baling and storing it in a barn. In addition to the lower harvesting and storing costs, stacking loose hay in the field has several other attractive features. Since the level of plant nutrients is determined largely by the stage of development of the crop when it is cut, the quality of the hay in stacks is just as high as, or sometimes higher than, the qual ity of baled hay. Another strong point in favor of stacked hay is in feeding operations. Rela tively little effort and labor are required in feed ing hay from a loose stack. The only difficulty may be in regulating the amount consumed by individual animals; however, this point is ques tionable inasmuch as some producers prefer to feed hay free-choice. Dr. Pratt says that there is less chance of spontaneous heating in loosely stacked hay than in baled hay because loose hay can be stacked with a higher moisture content. Mois ture trapped in baled hay will turn the inside portion white and ruin the hay. In the final analysis, the decision as to which method to use may be based on several factors, including the acreage of forage involved, the type of livestock program, and the normal expectancy of inclement weather. Cottonseed Flour A process for making high-protein edible cottonseed flour has been developed by scien tists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Besides making another edible protein source available domestically, the process could play a major role in increasing the amount of pro tein available in those underdeveloped coun tries that grow cotton. Numerous experimental runs indicate that each 100 tons of cottonseed should yield about 36,000 pounds of high-quality edible flour con taining 65 percent protein. The United States could produce approximately 2 million tons of such flour annually, and the remainder of the world could produce another 6 million tons. USDA officials say that the product could make a major contribution toward easing the problem of protein malnutrition in much of the world.
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