514 Journal of the Department op Agriculture. 



veiy little of the true hairy covering- is left. Some, however, remain 

 free from this woolly undergrowth all their lives, and these are con- 

 sidered of special value. (The woolliness in the fleece will be further 

 discussed later on.) 



The quality of the hair is of great importance, as our investiga- 

 tions have shown ULore and more that, to produce lamb pelts having 

 the desired lustre which gives the fur its extraordinary beauty and 

 its value, the right quality of hair is essential in the parents. The 

 quality may be soft, medium, or strong, but it must be kindly to the 

 touch and have a lustre indicating an abundance of life in the hair. 

 Harshness, almost always accompanied by fu5;ziness, is most undesir- 

 able. 



On opening the fleece of a good karakul it will be noticed that 

 there if; a distinct crimj) in the hair near the skin. This crimp is not 

 at all like that found in wool, being infinitely larger and confined 

 to that half of the staple nearest the animal's body. Its presence is 

 a most desirable feature if it is of the right kind. Good crimp should 

 be well defined, should commence close to the skin, should lie jiai'^llel 

 with the surface of the body, and should give place to a wave at about 

 half the length of the hair. A fleece having crimp of this nature opens 

 freely to the skin. If the crimp lies at an angle with the body surface 

 it is bad, and although there may be a great deal of it it is an indica- 

 tion in most cases that the animal at birth had a m_ost undesirable 

 type of curl. Crimp of this kind causes a matted fleece, difficult to 

 open cleanly to the skin. 



It is, of couj'se, most desirable to have the crimp occurring evenly 

 over the whole body, but this is very rarely the case. The best 

 crimp is fouud on tlie shoulder and leg an 1 the- worst occurs on the 

 ribs. 



The lengtli of the staple should be about 8 inches for twelve 

 months' growth, while its density, which is correlated with type of 

 curl and quality of hair, is poor as compared with the pure-bred 

 woolled Persian. The covering of the tail and belly should be as 

 similar to that of the body as possible. 



Tlie External Appearance of the Fleece. — Let it be emphasized 

 at the commencement of these remarks that what follows is what the 

 writer knows to be correct, but that there is much to learn with 

 regard to the appearance of the fleeces of good and of bad sheep. The 

 subject is one of considerable difficulty, and until more specially 

 marked lambs attain to maturity we are not in a position to say in 

 all cases by the appearance of the adult fleece what the sheep was 

 like as a lamb, or, conversely, what sort of an adult fleece any 

 particular lamb will have. Lambs of *"A" type when 

 matured sheep have a fleece of an even external appearance (see 

 Plate 2a). There may be a distinct wave in the covering, 

 but the hair is never twisted into locks like those seen in 

 a well-bred Angora goat. Often beautifully curled lambs 

 grow wp to have perfectly plain fleeces externally, and 

 especially is this the case when they are strong-haired as adults. 

 Any sheep having a fleece really curly in appearance must be looked 

 upon with stispicion, and if the hair is, in addition, fuzzy and harsh 

 and shows much curl, the sheep is best culled. A curly, 



* For explanation of "A" and "B" types, seo "Lambs : their pelts, etc." 



