xv SHEEP 149 



could have been no appreciable difference in profit, 

 and for the man with cheap land and limited capital 

 the native ewe may still prove the best friend. 



Now supposing that our settler has decided on 

 grading up the native sheep, the next question to be 

 settled is the type to be acquired. At present the 

 Masai ewe has proved herself the most adaptable ; she 

 has a strong constitution, and though flat-sided is of 

 considerable size. Three parts of the trading stock in 

 circulation in the Protectorate came from the Masai 

 and at prices of from six to eight shillings breeders 

 will not go far wrong with them. A type the true 

 value of which is hardly yet appreciated is the 

 Samburu, a breed of Persian sheep, on the small side, 

 but well shaped, with fine bone, and excellent mothers. 

 The cross-bred lambs from this type show a better 

 staple and less kemp in the wool than any others. 

 Unfortunately, they are drawn from a low, dry 

 country, and the percentage lost in acclimatisation is 

 considerable, though this is discounted to a great 

 extent by the lower cost, approximately one-third 

 below that of Masai ewes. Karamojo and Turkhana 

 sheep, which also show Persian breeding, suffer from 

 the same disadvantages and are in addition materially 

 smaller, while sheep from the Suk valley, though 

 larger, appear almost impossible to acclimatise. 



In most cases the settler will purchase his breeding 

 stock at auction or from trading Somalis, but he may 

 economise to some extent by taking trading stock and 

 proceeding into the native Reserve himself, in which 

 case he will do well to take also with him some 

 trustworthy Somali or Swahili, if such there be, as the 

 necessary bartering is a slow business and apt to tax 

 the patience of the European. 



