214 



THE KARAKUL 



Types of Lamb Fur. — The fur taken from young lambs is 

 known as Persian, Astrakhan, Broadtail, and Krimmer, and with 

 the exception of Krimmer, which is supplied chiefly from the 

 Crimean peninsula, it is obtained in large part from the Karakul, 

 of Bokhara. Since they have the best defined, most uniform, and 

 tightest curl, the Persians are of greatest value. The Astrakhans 



Fig. 146. — Karakul ewe and lamb. The wool of the mature sheep is coarse and wiry, 

 but the lamb has a soft, glossy, black coat which can be made into valuable fur if the animal 

 is slaughtered when it is only a few days old. 



have less luster or gloss, longer hair, and a more open curl than the 

 Persians. The Broadtail skins, which are taken from lambs pre- 

 maturely born, are soft, pliable, and light in weight, with shorter 

 hair than the Persian, and instead of being tightly curled have a 

 very attractive wavy pattern. The Krimmer is a gray fur, while 

 the other types are black. 



Lambskins vary greatly in value, according to quality. At the 

 annual summer fair at MJni Novgorod, in Eussia, where prac- 

 tically all of the Bokhara skins are sold, the average wholesale 



