Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-12-09
Judging Woods.

floating in agricultural papers credited to
the Bulletin Of the Association Of Wool
Manufacturers 1t contains statements
which should engage the attention of wool
growers. .~-y.@
There is perhaps no defect which rem
lrrs wool, and otherwise good wool to, so
absolutely useless for manufacturing. and
especially for combing purposes, as ten
lcIntss. or brcachnesS; and 1t Is my con
viction that this defect is more general and
cause greater loss to the country, through
the pockets of our shccp-owncr>, than all
other defects in our woods together. How
ever fine or however much Your wool IN
every other desirable quality may excel,
no sooner is it submitted to the wonder
fully acute and skil;ful examination of the
European wOOl-sorter. clas>cr. buyer or
manufacturer. than this deficiency in this
respect is detected, and a price Is BID Tor
it scarcely exceeding that otfered Tor locks
and pieces; in fact, nothing Is wanted to
reduce fleece to that class but the solution
of continuity which is sure to Ike place
in course of the very first manufacturing
process to which il is subjected. Except
however, possibly, in cases where neglect
or acknowledgement have been the rule for
generations. it is not hereditary; nor Is
one breed OF sheep more liable to 1t than
another. To these conclusions | have
come bv repeatedly finding an entire
tio,-k affected with break one Year, and
quite free from it the next, in consequence
If a chlnre of management. On the
whole. it l. to be feared that this defect Is
yearly gaining ground; and am crrdihly
assured that the last two OF three wears We
have produced more wool of this de>rrip-
ton than was ever known before. Ger
tain it * that wacrrsoevcr this most OBJ
ir,-tIumahlr tendency manite~tS itself sheer
,arclrs~ncS>. neglect. Ignorance over~tock-
/ inc. Unfortunately large paddock>, or scare
ifv Of feed or watcr-each or alI-wlll b"
found When the sheep get into very low
condition. pores of the skin contract. and
permit only wool of Il very fine fibre to cX-
trudr When the feed once more becomes
abundant. the pores again expand, and per
+ nit the passage of :, large and strong fibre.
/ In con sequence of this. the eNtrcmltics of
the thrc> are stronger than their centres
and the wool upon the slightest strain
snaps ut the weakest place-nalnclv Y, at the
portion which grew when the sheep were.
/ in til" lowest condition But nothing is 80
-lIrr To cau>e L break in wool, or indeed,
in many sheep, Il perfect stripping or
eh-,hlin.r of the entire fleece. rs want of
water.
Il * not important that woods should br
free. from the. defects above described. but
it i, desirable the whole OF the various
plrt, OF the fleece should have Il, nearly rs
/ possible uniformity of chara 'tcr-th:Ot is
~ regards !incnc>>, length of staple, den
sitv and Softnr>S. The method of deter
mining this quality of evcnncs~ l. thus de>-
/ cribrd: ALWAYS assuming that the wool
to Ice n>pectrd i really a fine wool. we
fir-t examine the shoulder ut the part
here the finest and best wool i usually
found. This we take IL the standard. and
compare it with. III turn. the wool from
the ribs, the thigh, the rump and the him
der parts: and the nearer the wool from
these various portions of the animal ap-
proArhc~ the standard. the better. First ""
-crrl;inize the tincness: and if the result be
satisfactory, we pronounce the fleece. IN
respect of iinrnc>>, very even. Next W.
inquire into the length of the staple; and
if we find that the wool on the ribs, thigh
and back approxmatcs reasonably in
Length 10 that Of our standard. We again
declare the fleece, rs regards length Of
staple. true and even. We next d, sire to
satisfy ourselves ofthe density of the fleece
and We do this by closing the hand upon
4 portion ofthe rump and of the lon wool,
the fleece at these points being usually the
thinnc>t and faulty, and if this again gives
>ati,ftction We signify the fact by dcsig-
mating the wool even as respects density,
Now to summarize these separate eNaIni-
nlti,ns; if YOU find the fleece Of nearly
.rqual firmnc>s from the shoulder to the
thigh; of nearly equal length on the
>honldrr and across the loins-vou may
conclude that you have Il nearly perfect
sheep.