The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-08-02
farm aud Garden.
Wool.


producing country in the world. If it is
second, it is second only to Australia, of
which wool is the largest product. Our
yearly product is now close to $50, OOO,-
1000 pounds, from over 100000 sheep.
The farmers of country which produces
so vast quantity of wool should know
something of its nature and of the char
acteristics which FIX its value, for the
better the quality of the product the
greater the profit of the production, and
wool especially depends for its quality
and value upon the care and skill with
which sheep are bred, fed, and managed.
Wool is species of hair, differing from
hair in having its surface covered with
intoxicated scales, the points of which
form very minute hooks, so closely placed
that $4,000 Of them are to be counted
upon one inch in length of the surface of
a single fibre of fine Merino wool. 1t is
this popularity of wool which gives to it
in part its characteristic ability to felt or
mat and from tough, solid sheet when
it is pressed and beaten together. 1t is
formed of three layers; this intoxicated
or scaly surface, the cortical substance
which contains the coloring matter and
the central pith. Wool, as well as hair,
is a solid fibre and not tubular, as has
been stated and generally believed.
Like hair, it grows from dubious root
in the derma or second layer of skin, the
source from which it springs being
gland known as the hair follicle, and
from this the substance is secreted by
which the fibre is heightened as it grows
These follicles are very numerous, one
single square inch of the skin Of pure
Merino having from 10000 to $4,000 of
them, each one having its fibre of wool
rooted in it; while the skin of coarse
wool sheep has from 5000 to 5000 to
the square inch Fine Merino wool is
about one-seven hundred and fftieth
part of an inch in diameter. Wool diff
fers from hair not only in its outer struc-
ture, but in peculiar spiral arrange
ment of its cells and outer scales, by
which it easily twists and curves and
forms an adherent mat or mass called
felt. 1t consists of carbon, hydrogen,
nitrogen, and oxygen to the extent of
1888 per cent and 67 per cent of sui
phur. When completely burned, then,
1T leaves no ash, and can be wholly re-
duced to gases. 1t is covered, when
upon the sleeps back, with a soapy and
oily matter secreted from the glands of
the skin known as yolk, and this consists
very largely of potash, SO per cert being
fatty compounds and Al per cent mineral
matter, Of which "a per cent is potash
The yolk is therefore a potash soap and
is soluble In cold water. The welfare OF
the sheep and the quality and value of
the wool depend very much upon the ex-
istence of this oily, greasy yolk, for it
prevents the wool from mating, telling,
or "cotting upon the sleeps back, and
becoming brittle and weak. The yolk
forms from 20 to 60 per- cent of the
weight of the fleece in It's natural state
and there is besides from 7 to 10 per
cent of OIL
Wool is of several kinds, graded, first,
according to its length, then as to its
fneness. 1t is short, medium, and long
the first and second are carded and the
last is combed. 1t is also distinguished as
short, or cording, delaine, and combing.
The art OF combing has been improved Of
late years, so that class of fine Merino
wool, from to 81 inches in length. is
now combed and used for making those
fabrics known as delaines, while the
coarser long woods are used for worsted
goods, mohair, bunting, and alpacas
Woods are also graded, in regard to the
diameter of the fibre, as superfne, fine,
medium, and coarse; these are again
sorted as regards their strength. elias
ITCHY, and evenness of fibre. Some
heeces are so irregular in this respect as
to require sorting into eight or ten diff.
terent qualities, and as the services of a
competent wool-sorter are valuable and
highly paid, of course feeces of this kind
suffer as to their market value. Again
some sheep have coarse hairs growing in
their feeces, on the shoulder or the
hanks, or about the wrinkles in Merinos
and as these hairs will not take the dye
equally with wool, they seriously impair
tie value Of the fleece.
Fashion has much to do with the
Prontaoleness of wool-growing. When
men wore broadcloth and ladies dressed
III the hne soft merinos, the short and
very me wooled German Merinos-Sax
oLs ana Sliesians-were mainly kept
S anu otner sheep were Of little account.
Inen at times of unusual briskness Of the
WOOL market, when fine Aeeces sold for
9l ana more per pound, choice breeding
animals sold for large prices, and sheep
weighing less than 100 pounds often
Drought several thousand dollars per
mead As fashion oba,ced tbaeo CO.