640 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



by M. Karapov to the Russian GovernmeBt. Tliis report has been trans- 

 lated and published by the Union Department of Agriculture (Bulletin 

 No. IT of 1914). It states that from the Khanate of Bokhara there 

 are exported from one and one-fifth to one and a half million skins per 

 annum, valued at nearly £1,000,000, and that there has been a steady 

 advance in price for many years past. About fifteen years ago the 

 highest price was 8 roubles (about ]6s.) per skin, and it is stated 

 that in recent years this price has been almost doubled. During his 

 visit to Bokhara in 1910, the best ram-skins were sold at about 24s. 

 each. Dealing with the trade in ' hundreds of thousands of pieces 

 to the value of millions of roubles' (note, a rouble about 2s.) 

 he gives the following average prices: — 



1895 3.91 roubles (about 8s.). 



1902 6.63 roubles (about 13s. 3d.). 



1909 8.70 roubles (about 16s. 9d.). 



" In this way the price has risen by 70 per cent, in the first eight 

 years, and by 31 per cent, in the second eight years, or by 122.5 per 

 cent, in the whole period of fifteen years. Add to this the rise since 

 1909, which amounts to 25 to 30 per cent., and we have, in comparison 

 with 1895, a total rise of 180 per cent. These prices refer io raw 

 undyed skins. The chief markets for their sale are I^ijni-Novgorod 

 unci Moscow. At the former it would appear that about one million 

 skins are sold annually, of a value over £500,000. Before being 

 manufactured into garments the skins are tanned and dyed. The 

 dyeing process has been chiefiy done at Leipzig, from which the skins 

 are exported largely to Russia. Leipzig handled annually about 

 ;>85,000 skins, valued at -six million marks (£300.000), or an average 

 of 16s. per skin." 



Since the above bulletin was written there has been a further 

 increase in the prices paid for skins. This is due to several causes, 

 such as the large amount of money spent by munition and other 

 war workers in England and France, the shutting out of Bokhara 

 from the European markets, etc. That country, however, is still 

 the scene of severe fighting, and the fur-bearing flocks are probably 

 greatly decreased in number, and this is also the case in Bessarabia. 

 Further, the natives of Bokhara have for years past been slaughtering 

 their best lambs for the sake of the prices obtained, and they have 

 never bred karakuls on scientific lines or even taken any precautions 

 against in-breeding or contamination with foreign blood. There has, 

 of course, been no attempt made at any method of mating. We have 

 thus in South Africa every chance of building up an industry in 

 these pelts which will put it ahead of any other country, especially 

 as our native sheep, and others readily obtained, are splendidly suited 

 for grading up flocks for the production of pelts of high value. 



In order to obtain some idea of what could be expected for grade 

 karakul pelts, a small consignment of twenty skins was sent to London 

 to the Trades Commissioner, who submitted them for valuation to 

 Messrs. Martin & Sons, Ltd., 68 Upper Thames Street, London, E.C. 

 Unfortunately the pelts were shipped on the " Kenilworth Castle " on 

 her ill-fated voyage, and the pelts 'were consequently considerably 

 damaged by salt water. In their report Messrs. Martin & Sons, Ltd.. 

 stated that in valuing the pelts they had, as far as possible, regarded 

 them as if undamaged. Grade pelts of all classes were sent, even 



