The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-18

scarcely ever see anything nut SIMPLE
halter used to lead them; though in the
stePpes the animals are usually nose-ring-
ed (bits are never used, or rather a short
stick is passed through the cartilage of
the nose, with a cord attached to it, which
serves as a rein. The harness is a sim
pie broad collar of felt and sacNing, bear
ing against the hump, and kept in place
by a breastplece and bellyband. This col
lar is usually never taken off during The
working season; the traces are attached
to a ring at the back when necessary.
Camels are used for riding, drawing
cars plows, reaping machines, mowers.
etc. They can be harnessed together
with horses and even oxen. They are es-
pecially useful with the reapers and NOW
ers because Of their strength and stride.
Working with horses they VIII keen step
with them, but, used separately, can be
made 10 walk much faster. In carts or
under saddle they can trot or amble very
fast, and for distances that no horse
would like. The single-humped breed
(dromedaries) are the swiftest and strong
est Camels live to the age of thirty or
forty years, and can be worked when they
are three or four years old Their strength
varies according to the breed and indIvid-
ual; the double-hufnped (or Bactrian)
camels are generally much less Ia size
ural roads, that Is, ruts, mire, etc) on an
average a load of about 1900 pounds in
single harness. The single-humped came
is taller better built ana much fasteri
they draw about 1900 pounds if the road
is not too bad. Il am speaking OF fair
ly good beast) Pure bred singie-humped
camels (dromedaries) are scarcely ever
used for farm work. They are used fol-
riding and caravans. and are swift and
strong. but not by any means so hardy as
the different crosses. They are brought
from Chva, Turkestan, etc, cost good
price, and are used mostly as breeding
animals (stallions). The price Of a thor
oughbred dromedary ranges anywhere
from $50 to $500 Thoroughbred Bactrar
(double-humped) camels are also consld-
cred unfit for farm work, being SOW
beasts, small in size and comparatively
weak. They could be got in Orenburg OF
Uralsk for about $40 to S25 per head.
Cross Breeds.
The favorite animal for work is one Of
the numerous cross-breeds between singlC
and double-humped breeds. There are somS
Of these crosses forming disdnce breeds
| or races than ] care 60 ten you. As fal
as 1 have been told, the first cross between
| a dromedary stallion and BactrlAn mare
| is considered rather too good for farm
work, and highly priced for carrying good.
in caravans, being hardy, strong ant
swift. A similar half-breed, only bred from
a Bactrian stallion and dromedary mare
is one of the best for drawing carts ant
| farm work generally. as is also The eros!
between a dromedary half-breed and Bac
| trian mare, or one-cuarter dromedary
blood. There are at least six or eight dis
| tinct cross-breeds, bearing different name
known in the market of Orenburg
Their prices vary from SIS 10 Sl00 ac
| cording 10 the breed. size, age and indl
| vidual qualities of the animals. You car
get excellent beasts for $50 10 $40 apiece
and very fine ones for $50 to $i0 The usua
way is to keep very few stations, or none
mares and geldings being preferred fo
| work, because the stations often becom,
unmanageable and wild in the breeding
season and even dangerous 10 strangers
Camels breed fairly well in captivity, bu
| the usual way is to keep the herd "a stall
| lion to every fifteen or twenty mares il
| the steppes, on ranches, over which the,
roam freely, till the breeding season Is wei
| oye-.
AS have already said, camels are yer.
gentle and patient beasts; but when alarm
ed by the sudden approach Of a stranger
or maltreated above endurance by labor
ers, they roar Cor rather groap) and spit
| very rarely Offering to bite or kick. Till
splitting is very unpleasant for il is th'
contents of its stomach that the came
| elects, and not saliva.