The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-07-02


rye, which contain the largest percentage
Of albumen, produce the most wool, CIV
ing twice the number Of pounds that roots
OF equal weight do. Indian cornmeal, oil
cake, and similar gross substances, are
the best food II tallOW Ia wanted; but II
the object Is the most and best wool, the
sheep owner must rely on hay and water,
with daily allowance Of the best grains,
and some potatoes, or carrots, or green
food.
The qualities most valuable in regard
to the fleece are these 1, soltnesS, 9 fine
ness, 3 ireeness, A, iullness, 8, length, o.
soundness.
/. Soltness is essential TO good fleece,
and the want Of 1t Is generally most con-
spIcuous between the points ofthe shoul.
der and up the neck. Those aeeCes are
best which abound in sort Of transpar-
ent oil, which, after flowing to the end Of
the staple, forms kind Of gum that al
tracts the dust and gives the surface Of
the wool q dark look. This gum is oil
service In preserving the fleece from dead
ends, in hastening the growth and i'm
parting soltness, elasticity and strength to
the wool.
9. Fineness OF fibre can be tested BY
laying lock Of wool on dark colored
cloth, and deficiency In this quality re-
yeaIs itself In q sudden coarSeness in the
neck or breech OF the sheep, or in both,
where the. difference in 1neness as COM
pared with the rest Of the fleece should be
SO gradual as 10 be almost imperceptible
8. Freeness implies that The individual
staples or locks d wool, sshlso their indi'
vidual fbreS, are not 7entAngled, but per
ieclly separateRnd distinct The wool on
being OPENED maxwell bred aheep, should
iall apart under the hands, clear and bro
ken-and a want OF freeness usually
shows itself most plainly along the ridges
Of the back. r-a.----s.'-s
4. By iullness IS meant the closenesa
with which the staples or locks grow. TO-
gether. Upon opening the WOO Of q
sheep possessing this quality 10 perfection
only fine thin line OF skin will appear
around each staple, where, il there was a
deficiency of tullness, itwohld show bare
space. ........,...
5. Length Of fibre must be carefully
regulated by the nature Of the pasture and
Climate-fOr the smallest excess will
cause u propOrtiOnate I11soundness, by
which the wool will be deprecated for
clothing, and rendered useless for comb
ing. To Judge Of the length Of the sta
pie, the best part to examine Is the d.
vision along the ridge Of the back, where
1t Is generally little shorter than other
parts.
6. SoundnesS, or slrength Of fibre is an
Indispensable quality in4 Oombing WOO,
and want OF soundness, or as Il Is usual
" called 4tendeFneas,g. invariably reveals
itself along the ridge Of the back, where
there Is q sort Of division between the wool
on each side. To test II, lone has only to
take out a staple from this part, and give
| II "a strong steady pull, holding one end in
each hand. lift proves sound, It may be
assumed Is certain that tho rest Of the
fleece Is sound too. -
These, briefly stated, are the qualities
which arc essential to first rate fleeces
This subject Il of 90 much i'm
p0rtance that II will bear more than one
dlsCussion-for wool has this peculiarity
as compared with cotton and silk-that
whereas these are produced only In GER
tain ATTITUDES and In comparatively few
countries, woolis produced, more or len
In all countries. Another characteristic
which 1t polseReab the great varieties Of
It's qualities, comparing the produce Of
one county with that Of another, or even
with that Of different districts Of tho same
country. Each fleece, indeed, contains
several "sorts" adapted for various pur-
poses, so that there Il no single article Of
commerce that gives rise to 90 many deal
ings as wool; 81 much 50, that interchange
Of their WDol, produce frequently takes
place evch' between manufacturing dis
trIcts. r. v -. 3.
Lastly, wool Is 10 much preferred 10
any other material Tor nearly all clothing
purposes, that liz use d co-extensive With
civilization; for which, and the other reas
ons above mentioned, anything thai
throws light upon it's growth, nature, and
manufacture Is certain 10 possess an In.
terest Tor an indefinitely large circle Of In
quirers and reAders-NetO York fcOHo-
mist.