MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS 455 







The most extensive venture in introducing Karakul 

 sheep to a distant country was made in January, 1909, 

 when 252 ewes and 22 rams were shipped to German 

 South- West Africa from Bokhara. They had been 

 selected with the greatest care through the agent of the 

 Thorers in Bokhara from the best flocks in the country. 

 On the long and tedious journey by road and rail only 

 one died and one was lost. Within a few months of 

 landing the greater part of them were reported to have 

 succumbed to blue-tongue and catarrhal fever. Of the 

 few that were saved the lambs did well, and it is now 

 understood that the industry is an established success, 

 and that the sheep have found climatic conditions on the 

 higher plateaux of German Damara Land and Namaqua 

 Land, which are not far removed in certain particulars 

 from those of their original habitat. Private breeders 

 are able to purchase rams from the Government flock, 

 and the fat-tailed hairy Africander breed of South 

 Africa is an excellent foundation stock on which to build. 



(Since this paper was read it has transpired that a very 

 severe controversy is going on in German South-West 

 Africa as to the lines in sheep breeding which are likely 

 to prove best suited to the country. " The point at issue 

 is whether the Africander fat-tailed sheep which forms 

 the bulk of the ovine population the proportion being 

 500,000 against 50,000 should be crossed with Merino 

 rams or with Karakul rams. The people interested in the 

 wool trade prefer the Merino, but the Government and 

 the farmers are anxious to grade up all the black and 

 white fat-tails and their progeny with the Asiatic breed." 

 The lambs are slaughtered at a week old, provided the 

 skinlets are good enough, and " they think they can, in 

 this manner, make any amount of money and keep down 

 overstocking of the farms." The price goes up to 2 

 each, or more in rare instances, but it is believed the 

 industry would pav if from IDS. to 155. could be realized 

 for the sk ; ns. The question will resolve itself largely 

 into one of climate. If the country proves to be one 

 suitable for the Merino graded up from a fat-ta : l ewe 

 foundation, no doubt the wool sheep will ultimately claim 

 a share at least in its progressive development.) 



In 1911 the Emperor of Austria, in whose southern 



