Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-09-05

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~ cea to 90 Eses which have had
ore tharnne lamb, and sYe been expos
% cold wet, or scah naupplied with
Dd, are mo- liable e their Heeees
,tted. -
Immediately after shear wool is gene
rally fol(hedqmore rapidly and coa,ser than
durf any other period OF Its growth
That eooi grows faster at this time is ac-
knowledged saaloaG3 M. Fink, in his
account of the sbJ Vf Saxony, explains
why sheep produce greater quantity OF
wool when they are shorn twice IN the year,
than when they are shorn only once IN
the same time. The increased growth OF
wool after shearing, l believe arises from
the pressure of the grown wool upon the
secreting vessels being removed, whereby
sudden reaction and activity are given to
them and greater quantity of the fluid is
formed. The vessels may be also more ex-
banded and stimulated, by exposure to the
rays of the summer sun. Hence, the top OF
the staple which was grown Immediately at
ter shearing, will in most English wool be
found coarser than the bottom part. know
it may be said, that the top Of the staple IS
that portion of wool which was close to the
skin ahthe time the animal was shorn, and
was once - finest part OF the wool. But
lis is nd hue, for the points of the staple
= wearing away and rubbing OFT;
s Xle{e the wet remains and decays the
81. . This is the true cause OF the brown
~ at the top of the staple, which some
Is have thought it difficult to explain.
A minsae inspection will make the truth OF
this apparent, for it will invariably be found,
that where the top OF the staple remains dis
colored after washing, partial decay has
taken place. This effect will be in consl-
derable degree prevented, by the first ap-
plication of the ointment which | have re-
commended.
On examining a staple of English wool,
we shall generally find, that the bottom
part OF it is rather finer than the upper, and
the top part or poin, is coarser than the md
die. The points were grown soon after
shearing the upper part, OR rather more
than half of the whole length, was grown
during the summer and autumnal months i;
the bottom or finest part was produced al
ter the commencement of winter, and from
thence to the time of shearing. 1t may be
objected to what | have before advanced,
that if increase Of food and warmth have a
tendency to make wool coarser, the part OF
the staple which was nearest the skin at the
time of shearing, being grown in May or
June, should be as coarse as the middle part
which was grown in the autumnal months.
We must however recollett, that in spring
the fleece has nearly acquired its full size !;
and experience has informed us, that when
the staple is near its usual length, the wool
forming secretious are diminished, and its
growth proceeds very slowly. If fleece
| remain unshorn, and continue to grow two
years, the quantity of wool produced in the
second year is much less than what was
grown the fist. Any cause which diminish
es the wool forming secre,ons, or in other
! words, the quantity Of wool grown in GER
tain time, has tendency to make it finer /;
| and hence we may learn the cause of the
| wool being finer at the bottom of fnll
grown staple, than at the top. When the
old fleece is removed, either by shearing or
| by falling off, new energy is given to the
secreting vessels. | suspect also, that the
exposure of the skin to the action of light
| and air, contributes something to this eff
| feet.
To be conti1ued.]
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