Russian Live Stock Industry. 



335 



governments the sheep stock relatively to the area and 

 population is very small. 



It is estimated that merinos constitute about 30 per cent, 

 of the sheep enumerated. In the south-eastern districts the 

 favourite type is the Electoral or Saxony breed, while in the 

 south-western and southern steppe governments Negretti 

 sheep are the more popular. Another type of merino of 

 Russian origin, known as the Mazaev sheep, is bred in some 

 of the southern districts, particularly in the northern 

 Caucasus, and is distinguished for its long silky wool and 

 heavy fleece. There are also many flocks of Rambouillets. 



There are several local breeds of coarse-wool sheep which 

 may be divided into four classes, according to whether they 

 are raised for wool, for the skins, for milk, or for meat. Of 

 the sheep grown for wool the principal types are the Tsigaisk, 

 which is bred in the south-western governments, and the 

 Vo/os/isky raised mainly in the south-eastern districts. The 

 fleece of the former weighs about 8 lbs., is yellowish in 

 colour, with wool i-| to 2 inches long, and contains little 

 fat ; the Voloshsk fleece is from 4 to 61bs. in weight, with 

 pure white, coarse wool, 4 to 7 inches long. The Tsigaisk 

 is considered to be a good mutton sheep when fattened. 



Among the sheep bred for their skins are the Romauovsk, 

 bred in the government of Yaroslav, and the Karakoul breed 

 of Turkestan, which furnish fine lambskins called smoushka. 

 The skins are used for winter clothing, and the Karakoul 

 furnishes the material known as Astrakan fur. The best 

 mutton sheep are bred mainly in the Caucasus and in 

 some districts of South Russia. A celebrated type is the 

 fat-tailed sheep of the Kalmuck and the Khirgiz steppes. 

 The average carcase weight of the steppe merinos with fat 

 is about 92 lbs., but the northern sheep give about 46 lbs. 

 dressed weight. 



There are two local breeds of swine in Russia, known a^ 

 long-eared and short-eared pigs, the former being the larger 

 variety. Berkshires and Yorkshires are the principal English 

 breeds imported, but, owing to the small home demand for 

 pork, pig-breeding has not been hitherto a prominent branch 

 of farming, though greater attention is now being devoted 



