THE KARAKUL 663 



Karakul-Lincoln ewes. In 191 1 Dr. Young wrote^ that an excel- 

 lent fur is obtained by crossing a half- or three-quarter-bred Karakul' 

 ram with the long-wooled sheep known as " Romanovskaja," resem- 

 bling the Black-faced Highland. He also states that the Russians 

 are beginning to realize that the Enghsh breeds — as, the Lincoln, 

 Leicester, Cotswold, and, especially, the Shropshire — yield fur 

 far superior to anything that Asia can produce. Dr. Young pro- 

 duced some " salable skins " through a Karakul-Merino cross, and 

 a " much prettier skin " in a Karakul- Shropshire cross, but he says : 



If we wish to excel in luster the best of so-called Persian lamb skins we 

 must confine ourselves entirely to the long-wooled sheep. In my opinion the 

 Lincolns produce the best fur, although the difference in luster between the 

 young Lincoln and Cotswold lamb is hardly sufficiently perceptible to entitle 

 one to a positive statement. 



It is important to note that some Karakul rams are much more 

 prepotent than others in transmitting the more valued qualities of 

 the fur, and that half-bred or grade Karakul rams as a rule yield 

 inferior results. 



The market value of Karakul furs varies in a great degree. 

 About 1,500,000 skins are said to be exported annually from 

 Bokhara and adjoining regions. Under pre-war conditions first- 

 class dyed skins sold in small lots at from ^i 5 to $20 each, while 

 inferior ones were quoted as low as ^3. It is stated that the 

 average value of all the skins sold at the Russian fair at Nijni 

 Novgorod in 191 3 was ^6.25. Skins from lambs from half-bred 

 Karakul-Barbadoes ewes, produced by the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, were valued at 50 cents to ^10, with an 

 average of ^4.70. Dr. Young thinks that skins from a Karakul- 

 Merino cross on a three-day-old lamb should be worth $2 or $3 

 each, while that from a Karakul- Lincoln should bring ^5. The 

 price on undyed skins in Europe has greatly increased in recent 

 years, and Holm states that in Leipzig, where the dyeing is chiefly 

 done, about 385,000 skins are handled annually, showing an aver- 

 age value of $4. 



The mutton value of the Karakul is regarded as very satisfac- 

 tory. The mutton of the mature sheep is considered of good 



1 C. C. Young, The Karakul Breed of Sheep. American Breeders'' Magazine, 



Vol. II, No. I. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



