FUR FARMING FOR BROADTAIL 69 



cracking. Too thin skin can be reenforced but cracked skin will 

 rip. The test as told elsewhere is to stretch slightly. If there 

 is a sound of an impending rip, beware the skin. 



Pure bred stock to-day is selling at from #500 to #1000 ; and with 

 those prices ruling, while the same financial success may not reward 

 the Persian lamb farmers as has rewarded the silver fox farmers, 

 who get 9 puppies increase from a pair a year, still the Persian lamb 

 is not a monogamous gentleman. He has up to 20 wives, and 20 

 lambs a year from one $500 sire with hides at $8 to $15, and flesh 

 at 30 to 40^ a pound, with the cheap range of feeding ground on 

 which sheep subsist — mean a profit that may easily place Persian 

 lamb farming second to silver fox, and such mink and sable and 

 marten farms as are still in an experimental stage. 



Two official reports have come out on karakul sheep farming 

 in the United States and Canada ; one by the Animal Bureau of the 

 Agricultural Department, Washington, the other by Dr. Young, 

 himself, whose success has exceeded his expectations. Says the 

 U. S. Year Book of 191 5 : "Since 1909, fifty-four of these sheep have 

 been brought to the United States. The importations have con- 

 sisted chiefly of rams which have been mated with ewes to determine 

 what class of ewes will produce lambs having good skins. Flocks 

 owned in Texas, Kansas and New York now comprise over 1000 

 head of sheep having one-third or three-quarters Karakul blood. 

 Besides these grades there are 60 rams and ewes that are either 

 imported or descended from imported stock. 



"The fur commonly known as Persian lamb is taken from the 

 young Karakul lambs. The Persian lamb used in the United States 

 is produced chiefly in Central Asia, in Bokhara. The future of 

 the industry in this country depends on the results of mating 

 Karakul rams with our ewes. 



"The furs are known as Persian lambs, Astrakhan, Broadtail 

 and Krimmer. Persians, Astrakhan and Broadtail skins are all 

 black in color, but vary in the character of the curl. Persians 

 have the most pronounced, most uniform and tightest curl and the 



