The San Francisco call., 1896-11-22

Director Shinn of the experiment stations.
The first sample of wool recently brought
to San Francisco sold at an advance of 4
cents per pound on the usual price re-
ceived. And as to the meat, it is hard,
tender and marbled to perfection.
In an interview to-day Director Shinn
gave the following to CALL correspond
ent for publication
The University of California at two of
| Its experiment stations-at Tulare and
Paso Robles-is making some remarka BILE
experiments with crosses of Persian sheep,
and the results in the minds of practical
breeders promise to create several very
must take the lead. In plain English,
there is probably lots of money for pro-
gressive sheepmen along these new lines.
The original pair OF Persian sheep are
now at Paso Robles. The flock there
full-Sloods and crosses-now consists of
| seven, and another flock has been started
in Tulare station. third flock will soon
be esta blished at the station near Pomona.
The following notes from union report
OF 1888 written by myself gives something
of the history of the Importation:
One OF the most promising OF the re-
cent acquisitions of the California expert
ment stations consists of a pair of the
The history of the importation is interest
ing. Hon. Truxton Beale of California,
son of General Beale, was appointed
United States Minister to Persia. All
Californians know the famous Beale ranch
in the TeJon Pass, Kern County, one of
the historic landmarks of the Pacific
Coast, and especially attractive to breed
ers of fine sheep, cattle and horses. 1t
was natural that member of the Beale
| family in public life should attempt
TO do something for the livestock
interests of bis own State. He obtained
for the United States Department of Agrl-
| culture fifteen of the best specimens of the
pure blood sheep of Asia, called the AS
| trachan, though the latter name belongs
to variety. The proper name of the
breed is the Bayazit broad tailed sheep of
Kurdistan, Persia.
minister Beale wrote to California and
placed the shipment in the hands OF c. P.
Bailey OF San Jose for distribution, and
the university obtained a pair of sheen
which were sent to Paso Robles and placed
in charge of the foreman there.
Mr.. Bailey wrote under date of Octo be r
81, 1892, saying:
''The more l see of these sheep the bet
ter am satisfied that they are really quite
an acquisition to California mutton breed
ers. They are as tough as mules. Not
one has died since they left Persia, and
seven out OF eight of the ewes have had
lambs since they started, all OF which are
alive and thriving. One lamb, sixty days
old, weighed fifty pounds, live weight.
One that was dropped here ten days ago
weighed thirteen pounds at one day old,
believe that by crossing these bucks ON
the common Merino sheep of California,
We will get as big lambs at three months
old as ordinary Merino lambs are at six
months old. l am arranging to try this
cross-breeding in Nevada"
The "broadtaiP' is the same breed of
sheep that General George Washington
received from Asia century ago and that
was used by the Custis family to help
found the noted Arlington longwools''
OF Virginia. 1t is surprising that the breed
has not been used oftener as a cross. 1t is
the sheep mentioned in the Bible. and is
the only sheep illustrated on the ancient
monuments of media, Persia and Assyria.
1t is said that there is no better mutton
sheep in the world The tail is chiefly a
mass OF fat, weig hing from 10 to 40 pounds.
Good sheep ready for the butcher ought
to average 80 to 100 pounds, besides the
fatty appendage. The largest are found in
the Ararat provinces of Kurdistan, where
sheep are often found dragging around
wooden-wheeled carts, which support
the tails. The more slender and beautiful
Bayazit breed is smaller, but the fleece is
finer. The soft skin OF one variety of the
broad-tails is covered with a short curly
fleece, the "Astrachan WOOL used by the
Circassians.
Inc sneep as Dred at the station snow
three distin ct lines of development-some
are nearly white. some are reddish brown
and some are black or nearly so. The
breed is not yet fixed. By crosses with
Cotswolds or Southdowns, superior mutton
of very early maturity is obtained, together
with desirable WOOL By crossing with
merinos more profitable wool is secured.
Both lines are well worth a breeders
notice If Astrachan is desired, the dark
colors should be deyeIoped and the lipht
coiors weeded out; if high grade wool is
wanted the contrary plan is necessary.
The bucks at the experiment station
are at the free service of all sheep-owners