El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-26
A WONDERFUL SHEEP STORY.
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At one time the Arab sheep were
found in a wild state in the semi-inde-
pendent Khanate of Bokhara, Central
Asia, but today one sees them in small
numbers in the Kishlacks cf the KizeI
Kurn and Kara-Kurn desert. which
extends for 500 miles North of Bokhara
into Western Turkestan. Bokharans
| claim that several centuries ago, the
/ small AThbi was domesticated with
! great difficulty. and not until the ami
NAL became seriously annoyed by hunt
ers. did 1t leave the arid regions OF
Bokhara. Some Uzbeck authorities on
| Karakule breeds. however. maintain
that originally the Arab did not in
habit Bokhara, but Arabia, and hence
the name Arabi. AS there IS nothing
found in the animal history of Arabia
about the Arab sheep, rhe real origin
Of the name Arab IS much in dispute.
In the last so years the name karaSule
has been substituted for Arab and
meal sh, in Turkish, black lake.
The Town of Knra-KuI
There Is a town OF Kara-Kul which
Is on the railroad running east from
Krasnowotsk on the eastern shore OF
the Caspian Sea to Merv and thence to
Andishan, not far from Tashkent, and
many graded Arab broadtails have
been brought there from the interior Of
Bokhara and the Kisilkurn and Kara
Kurn desert for expectation to Afghan
istan, Caucasus. Crimea, and of late
years, southern Russia. The name
Kara-Kul is used entirely to designate
the Arabi sheep. That the Arab is the
original wild broadtail from which all
broadtail breeds descend is an undis-
putable fact and 1t is pity that this
| hardy, fur producing, most lustrous
and highly pigmented member Of the
ovine family has been allowed to be-
come nearly extinct. The absence in
Asia of woven wire fences makes it
almost impossible to prevent the ami
NAL from becoming contaminated with
other classes of sheep. One need but
| look at genuine Arab lamb skin and
compare it with one containing even
small percent of the blood of some 9TH
er breed to realize what the world is
about to lose and why the precious
Arab furs often adorn the heads of the
rulers of Asia To see the priceless
skins on the walls Of the palaces Of the
shah of Persia and the emirs Of Box
hara, Turkestan and Afganistan, along
side of the costliest rugs and oil paint
ings is a treat that those Of us who
have been permitted to view them will
not soon forget.
Blending the Strains.
There are not many people who can
afford to wear full blood Arab fur.
but millions wear fur that owes its
beauty to the karakule strain 1t con-
tains: in some cases only as little as
IL 1-2 percent will produce a magniff-
cent fur, as is the case with the gray
krimrner produced by the TartarS of
Crimea when crossing half breed kara
kule rams with common white Russian
longwooI sheep. The black astrachan
fur, named after the Russian province
Astrachan, is produced in a similar
manner though 1T takes more or the
karakuIe blood than does the krfnn-
mer. ,since the color sought is black.
The loose and open curls of the astra-
chan lambskin is due to the particular
white longwool blood which enters into
its formation We attain similar re-
suits in this country by crossing
karakule ram with black faced high
land eve The Persian lambskin pro-
duced in Bokhara, Turkestan and At
ghanistan does not differ from the as
trachan. except that the curls are tight
and should be closed, demanding diff
ferent kind of a white longwooled
sheep from that which is indigenous 10
Astrachan.
Persian Lamb in Texas.
Persia never did produce much of the
socalled Persian lamb, but as Persians
have for years bought up the tight
curled black skins in AfghanfStan ana
Bokhara and marketed them, the trade
name Persian lamb" will, no doubt,
continue Excellent tight curled black
skins are produced in Texas by cross
ing karakule rams with our American
Liricolns and Cottswolds, and 1t is safe
to predict that the Leicester and Wells
leydales will give fully as good fur, If
not better three-quarter bred Texas
Karakule-Shropshire skin recently pro-
duced in Texas was priced at SIG by
furriers in Chicago. and half-breed
Karakule. Lincoln and Cottswold lamb
skins will bring even more. This Is
due to the difference in luster between
the Shropshire and the silk wool Lin
coins, Cottswolds, Leicesters and Wells
leydales. In fact, Asia can not possibly
expect to compete with US in ulster I'M
less It's sheep-fur producers will first
breed their native white sheep to Eng