A conservation area in Jiangsu Province, China, has been established for the conservation of the Hu sheep, famous for its early sexual maturity and high reproductive rate as well as its beautifully patterned white-wool coat. Local farmers well experienced in raising these sheep are responsible for pure breeding under the control of-administrative and technical units which have been specially created for this purpose. The conservation area is in the main orange and loquat-growing district of the Province. Manure is used to fertilize the trees-and together with the production of meat from culled sheep and the sale of lambskins, the enterprise is economically viable.