Owing, however, to the jealous restrictions of the Turkish power, it was not till 1820 that mohair became a regular article of import into the United Kingdom. In that year a few bales came into the market; but so little was the material appreciated that it only realized 10d. per lb. In 1870 average mohair fleece was selling at five times that price. From the small beginning of 1820 the imports gradually waxed, and the trade received a very considerable impetus through the introduction in 1836, by Titus Salt, of the analogous fibre alpaca. The increasing demand for and value of mohair early stimulated endeavours to acclimatize the Angora goat in other regions; but all European attempts have failed, owing to humid and ungenial climates. In 1849 a flock was taken by Dr J. P. Davis to the United States of America, and since that time many fresh drafts have been obtained and distributed to Virginia and various Southern States, and to California and Oregon in the west. In these high and dry regions the goats thrive; and the flocks in the Western States now number many thousands. The Angora goat has also been introduced into the Cape of Good Hope with much success. The first importation of mohair from the Cape, made in 1862, amounted to 1036 lb; and now about one-tenth of the total British supply is received from that source. Mohair has also been received in England from goats reared successfully in Fiji, where they were first introduced in 1874, and there are also thriving flocks in Australia.

The trade in mohair between Asia Minor and western Europe is controlled in Constantinople. There upwards of twenty varieties of fleeces are distinguished according to the localities of their production, the richest and most lustrous qualities being produced in hilly and forest regions, while the fleeces from the open plains are comparatively kempy, coarse, and cottony. From the Lake Van district on the eastern borders of Asiatic Turkey a distinct and inferior variety of wool is obtained. It is known in commerce as Van mohair, and consists, to the extent of about 70 per cent., of white wool slightly streaked with black, with 30 per cent, of coloured red and black wool. At Konieh in the south, also, an inferior mohair known as Pelotons is produced, 80 per cent, of which is black and red, and the remainder white. The average weight of an Angora goat fleece is from 5 to 6 lb. The finest quality of wool is obtained from the first clip, which is made in the second year of the animal. She-goats yield the best wool, after which come wethers, while the rams give the coarsest fleeces. Angora mohair is a brilliant white lustrous fibre, elastic and wiry in character, and devoid of felting properties. It attains the length of four or five inches, but the long fibre is mixed with an undergrowth of shorter wool, which in the spinning process is combed out as “noils” for separate use. It is a material of enormous durability, and, owing to its remarkable elasticity, it is especially fitted for working into long piled fabrics, such as plush and imitation furs, or for use in braids and bindings, and in boot and other laces. It is largely used for making Utrecht velvet or furniture plush for the upholstering of railway carriages, &c., a trade centred at Amiens In the making of imitation sealskins, and imitation beaver, otter, chinchilla, and other furs, and for carriage rugs generally, mohair is extensively employed. Many dress fabrics of mixed mohair and alpaca, cotton, or silk are also manufactured; but with changes in fashion such materials are constantly changing in style, composition, and name. Mohair is also used for making certain qualities of lace, and an imitation of ostrich feathers for use as trimming has been made from the fibre. The imports of mohair into the United Kingdom during 1882 amounted to 16,859,771 lb, valued at £1,433,584, a quantity largely in excess of the imports of any previous year.