44 2 MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS 



tion is so great that out of hundreds, or even thousands, 

 it is practically impossible to find two skins that exactly 

 match. There are broadly three divisions according to 

 the size of the curl small, intermediate, and large. In 

 Russia the intermediate curl is most prized, other factors 

 being equal, which is contrary to the rule with grey 

 Krimmer, in which the small curl is most rare and most 

 valuable. Considerable variation in the size of the curl 

 appears in different offspring from the same parents, and 

 by some this has been attributed to feeding, though, like 

 the colour and quality of the hair of some of our domestic 

 animals in this country, it is probably due to natural 

 constitutional variation. 



The low average price of a large quantity of skins 

 shows that an enormous number of inferior sheep are 

 kept which ought to be capable of grading up. In 1905 

 one Leipzig house bought in Bokhara 385,000 skins at 

 i6s. each. Dr. C. C. Young asserts that the quality has 

 declined 85 per cent, in ten years! There is much scope 

 for improvement by means of scientific breeding, and it 

 may freely be asserted that over-production of high 

 quality furs is quite impossible. Great havoc to the 

 flocks is occasionally caused by blizzards and snowstorms, 

 which occur irregularly, and in certain seasons give rise 

 to a disease called " djut," which results in abortion. 



The so-called " Broad-tailed " fur, which presents a 

 fine, short, straight, figured, velvet-like hair of glossy 

 black and great lustre, preserved by careful dyeing, with 

 a beautifully figured water-mark through it, is identical 

 with the curly " Persian Lamb " fur derived from a good 

 Karakul-Duzbai, but is obtained at an earlier stage of 

 development. The pelts are in consequence scarcely half 

 as large, although often more costly, ranging in price 

 from i los. up to 3 each. The skins are those of 

 prematurely-born lambs thrown by the ewes that suffer 

 from " djut," and although brought into the world alive, 

 the lambs, generally, are so frail and weak, that they 

 would certainly die within a few hours. It is necessary 

 to kill, bleed, and skin them as quickly as possible to 

 preserve the quality of the fur and the wearing power 

 of the skin when cured, as well as to prevent injury to 



