Smyrna times., 1936-01-02
RAISING SHEEP
THAT BEAR FUR
Texas Rancher Makes Sue
cess of Popular Kara
kul Specie
HAS COMMERCIAL VALUE

Dunder, TeXaS.-Raising sheep
that bear fur, not wool, consti-
tutes the hobby of Alex Albright,
seventy-three-year-old Archer coun-
ty stock breeder, who owns the only
herd of karakul sheep of CONNER
cial consequence in the whole Unit
ed States. And from that herd of
Asiatic sheep he each year sends
to Eastern markets thousands of
dollars worth of fine fur.
The history of this unusual in
dustry dates back thousands of
years. The karakul-fur bearer is
an ancient member of the sheep
family. History recounts that con-
quering tribes came into the indie
pendent kingdom of Bokhara, bor-
dering on old Russia, thousands of
years ago, bringing their sheep
with them. ArcheOlogists have dug
up mummies buried for 1900 years
that were found to be wearing this
lambs fur-in perfect condition.
Regard Sheep as Sacred.
The breed takes it's name from
the little town of Karakul, not far
from the Aral sea, in Turkestan,
Asia. For centuries the fur of
the sheep grown in this little primi-
tive community was known to
traders and furriers the world over
as the finest to be obtained. The
pure karakuls were found only on
the ranches of the BOkharan noble
men. Mixed breeds are found
throughout that part of Asia, the
Afghans. the Astrachans and the
Krimmers. The Mahometan tribes
of Bokhara have a sacred regard
for these full-blooded karakulS
They guard them zealously, and this
fact, together with the knowledge
that the karakul breed is rapidly
becoming extinct in their domain,
caused extraordinary difficulties
when it was first proposed to trans
plant a flock of the sheep to Amer
lea.
The flock which DR.. G. G. Young
brought to Texas In 1908 was the
first full-blooded karakul sheep
ever taken out of the Province of
BOkhara and out of Russia. That
flock of 10 head was brought to Hol-
liday, Texas, also in Archer coun-
ty, not far from Mr.. Albright's pres
ent ranch. Doctor Young's per-
sonal knowledge of the people with
whom he was dealing went a great
way toward his ultimate success in
carrying out his plans.
Albright Takes Hold.
Doctor Young did not continue
his experiment long, and Mr.. AL
bright took up the project of rails
ing the fur-bearing sheep. 1t was
% years ago that Alex Albright
made his first effort to import kar-
akul stock into the United States
in order to bring new blood to his
then small flock. He, too, found
that he must overcome the import
laws of his own country first, then
break down the shyness of the
herdsmen of Bokhara, who recoiled
form the idea of allowing their
sheep to be taken to foreign lands.
"When | say that raising kara
kul sheep is the most profitable
industry the stockmen could enter
l have only to state a few facts"
Mr.. Albright said. Ordinary wool
is now bringing around 20 cents
pound, and has not greatly varied
from that figure in a year. AS my
invoice shows, last June 10, l sold
on the New York market fur pelts
from $50 karakul sheep at $2,346.12
net to me. That alone clearly sub.
stantiates my claim that 100 good
fur-producing ewes can show more
profit than a thousand head of any
other breed of sheep. Karakul
lamb pelts for fur must be taken
the first three or four days after
BIRTH"