, 1877-07-14
,sudc;nS Wool.

MANY farmers have been annoyed, wheI
selling their wool, tc find that the acute anC
practical eve of the wool buyer had detected
the fact that his sheep had been allowed tC
run down in condition at some time during
the growth of the fleece. They are half In
clined to think that the buyer Is only trying
to depreciate the price. As matter OF fact,
there is nothing which renders wool so use
less for certain kinds of manufacture, as un,
evenness or break IN continuity of the thick
ness of fibre; and there Is no defect more
common, and nothing that year by yeaI
touches the sheep grower more severely on
that tender part Of his anatomy my-the pocket.
However good the wool IN other respects,
the keen eye of the buyer singles out the de-
fective wool, and down goes the price of 1t.
And it Is not mere fancy that regulates
the prices, for The uneven wool viii break at
the weak places during the first process OF
manufacture. Some persons suppose that
this unevenness of fleece Is hereditary III GER
tam animals, and perhaps meyenneSs might
be made hereditary by generations OF IL
usage and neglect. But is the wool of an
entire iock is found to be uneven one year,
and not SO another, it shows that manage
ment has more TO do with 1t than descent
II sheep are allowed TO get into a low con-
dition, are neglected, under fed, or not shell
tered properly, the pores Of the skin viii
contract, and the wool that issues viii he Of
very fine fibre As soon rs the animal re-
covers a vigorous condition the pores again
Open and a longer and stronger fibre grows.
The wool Is thus weaker III one place than
In places each side of it, and breaks at the
weak place on the slightest strain.
Nothing induces uEevennesS more easily
and surely, than want Of water 1t is
common notion that sheep can do without
water, or a very little. If supplied with
roots daily they viii not want much water;
but it is well and humane, too, that water
should always be III theiI reach. Not only Is 1t
that the tibres should be even,
but the fleece throughout should De even as
regards length, softness, density and firm
ness. A practical wool buyer gives the fol-
lowing description Of the way IN which an
expert examines fleece: Always assuming
that the wool to be inspected Is really tine
wool, we first examine the shoulder at the
point where the finest and best wool is usu-
ally found. This We take. as standard, and
compare it in turn with the wool from the
ribs and thigh, the rump and the hinder
parts. and the nearer the wool from these
various portions of the animal approaches
the standard the better.
First We scrutimize the finenesS, and If the
result be satisfactory, we pronounce the
fleece, in respect to fneness, very "even )"
next We inquire into the length of the
staple, and, if We find that the wool on the
ribs, thigh and back, approximates reasona-
bly, in length to that of our standard, We
again declare the sheep, as regards length of
staple, true and even. We next desire to
satisfy ourselves of the density Of the fleece;
aid We do this by closing the hand upon
norton of the rump and the loin woods, the
fleece at these points being usually thinnest
and most faulty, and, if this again give sat
we signify the fact by designating
the wool "even as respects density Now
to summarize these separate examinations,
if you find the teeces OF nearly equal fine
ness from the shoulder, nib, thigh and back,
and of equal density at the shoulder and
2cross the loins, you may conclude that you
have perfect sheep.