Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-06-09
Preparing Wool for Market.

A correspondent of the Ohio Firm
er says: From observation and some
experience LII handling, we find there
is no uniform method practiced in
doing up fleece wool; each grower
has his own particular notion-some
doing up tightly with large amount
of string, some with only moderate
quantity, and others doing up their
fleeces loosely, with only string suffi-
Gent to hold the fleece together.
1t is difficult matter for a wool
buyer to determine, accurately, the
value of different lots of wool in the
same neighborhood; and still more
difficult to buy them of the growers
according to their actual Value
Generally, each grower-even though
his wool is a hard lot and put up in
sloyenly manner-thinks, or pretends
to think, that his wool is as good if
not little better than any in town,
and wants the highest market price
for it. And he generally gets it, too;
for, if the first buyer that comes
round makes any difference in the
price, and avoids the heavy lots, the
next one often buys the heavy wool
at full prices.
From an experience of thirty years
in selling wool, we find that fleeces
done up loosely and made to appear
large, uniformly sell the best. Take
three fleeces that are as nearly alike
as possible, and weighing, say, eight
pounds each; the first we will put in
a wool-press and tic up tightly; the
second, tie up loosely, making it
bulky; the third we will split in the
middle, tie it loosely, and make what
appears to be two tlecces weighing
four pounds each. The purchaser, I
care Eot whether he be the common
country buyer, the wool-storer, or the
manufacturer himself, will make three
prices for these three heeces of wool
varying at least five cents per
pound between the first and third
heeces. If wool-growers can derive
any advantage by dividing their large
fleeces, is it not their right to avail
themselves of that privilege? 1t may
be said that it would be deception
that it would not be honest. III an
swer we will say it would be wrong
to divide tleeces and represent them
to he whole; but if we inform the
buyer of the fact thele can be 10
wrong attached to the wool-grower.
The fact is, that when large
fleece is pressed into a small compass
and tied up tight, it appears to be
heavier than it should; the wool
buyer is deceived, and the grower
does not receive fair price for such
tieeces. We would not be under
stood to assume that the wool-grow-
er who has heavy feeces-made up
of oil and filth-does not get fair
price for his wool; nor do we recon-
mend splitting such, for we believe
this class Of wool ottener sells for
more rather than less than its value;
but it is from sheep that have been
bred with a view to grow largo |
amount of cleansed wool, and only a
moderate quantity of oil, that we
propose the dividing Of fleeces.
To make wool show to the best
advantage, it is necessary that the
shearcr should understand his bust
ness-keeping the fleece from being
torn or kicked to pieces. Our prac-
tice is to shear one-half, or one side,
and tear it off along the back and
put it out Of reach of harm. The
sheep is then turned on TIE other
side, taking care to keep the wool
from being torn or stretched apart,
and there is no reason why we should
not have good looking fleece
Fleeces made heavy by undue pro-
portions of oil and filth, may as well
be done up whole and put by them
selves and sold at corresponding
price.