MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS 453 



Karakul sheep were also introduced to the sandy districts 

 of the northern plains with the intention of increasing 

 the value of the poorer parts of Germany. The Rhoen 

 sheep gave the best results, but not till the seventh top- 

 cross of pure Karakul ram. Success there has not been 

 so great as in German South-West Africa and in other 

 places abroad. At least one shipment of thirty ewes and 

 a ram intended for German South-West Africa was can- 

 celled on account of the animals being affected with 

 bronchial worms, deadly enemies of sheep, and suffering 

 from malnutrition, from climatic and other causes. 



In order to introduce the sheep to the Trans-Caspian 

 districts the Russian Department of Agriculture estab- 

 lished twelve years ago a State sheep farm near Aschabad, 

 picked ewes and rams being brought from Bokhara. The 

 wrong type of sheep seems to have been procured, as 

 Dr. Young, after examining some 1,500 so-called Kara- 

 kuls on this station, reports that he " did not find one 

 fur-producing sheep! " (he meant, of course, of good 

 Karakul quality and free from fine wool) " all being 

 Arabi-Afghans." A number of stud rams and ewes 

 are nevertheless sold annually to the inhabitants of the 

 surrounding country as well as to other breeders. 



Batches of Karakul sheep have been drafted into the 

 Kuban district towards the north-west of the Russian 

 Province of the Caucasus, bordering on the sea of Azov. 

 The constitution of the pure breed, which in comparison 

 with local breeds have been there dubbed " delicate 

 animals," has been fortified in some districts by crossing 

 with the local breeds. This is quite in accordance with 

 sound commercial practice in other parts of the world 

 on introducing a breed of sheep, especially if it be an 

 improved breed, to conditions which markedly vary from 

 those of its habitat. Breeding is reported to be most 

 profitable. In this instance soft-wool sheep must have 

 been more or less rigidly rejected. Dr. Young reports 

 that each ewe produces one or two lambs, the skins of 

 which fetch, according to quality, from 10 to 20 roubles, 

 and ; n the ca^e of eood skins 30 roubles. According to 

 the Po 1 tnva Agricultural Societv's prices, ordinary breed- 

 ing Karakul sheep sell at from 60 to 80 roubles, but those 



