The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1885-11-28
CARE QE SHEEP.
Why Fiocks hould BE Well Sheltered IN
Fall and Winter.

Fail and Winter.
The skilled 6ockmaster knows thas
fall and early winter is a critical time
with his flock. Although sheep with
their woody coats will endure a very
low degree of temperature if dry, and
thrive il we'll fed, they will not do well
when exposed to cold, wet weather.
Many experienced hockmastcrs will
not suffer their sheep to be exposed to
A rain-storm, winter OF summer. The
effect of exposure 10 rain-storm Is. in
the first place, directly injurious to the
wool. When the animal is in n healthy
and thriving condition there is always
secreted. by glands at the roots of each
fiber Of wool. an oily substance, famil-
iarly known as yolk. This passes off
through the skin and spreads itself over
the fibers, and it Is this that gives to
wool its greasy feel. What is the Office
of this yolkp
A view of a fiber of wool under a mi
croscope will enable us to answer this
question. AS thus seen, the fiber does
not present a smooth appearance like
that Of a steel wire, as a view by the
naked eye would indicate. Instead it is
not only kinky, but it has along its en-
tire length, little projections or hooks.
similar 70 those which would be made
on a twig the size Of a lead pencil, by
cutting into it with a knife. These lit
tie hooks play a very important part
when the wool is worked up into fab
RIGS. But for them the threads formed
by twisting the fibers together would
untwist. The kinks and hooks prevent
this by interlocking and hooking to-
gether. The process OF making felt is
entirely dependent on this property of
wool. Felt is made simply by knead-
ing and working wool together. always
having it free from oil and moistened.
Now this is just the condition we will
have our wool in while it is on the
backs Of the sheep, if they are exposed
to rains. The yolk washes out very
easily and then while the wool is wet
the fleece is apt to become fe,ted or
"cotted," and when SO it is almost
worthless. Now the absence of moist
ure from the fleece and presence of oil
prevents this; and this is the office Of
the yolk.
1t does not always happen that these
conditions produce n "cotted' fleece,
though it does very often, yet n thing
always does happen, viz: that the
staple is injured to a greater or less
extent.
When there is no oil in the wool it is
dry, harsh and brittle, and when in this
condition the constant working Of the
tibers, one upon the other, caused by
the movements of the sheep. breaks Oft
the little hooks before spoken Of and,
thus deprives tho wool Of the quality by
which it can be used.
The inexperienced may not be able to
see that his wool is in this condition.
but one used to handling much can tell
it and will not give as much for such
as for that grown by a careful shep-
herd: and the careless and unthrifty
man, when he finds hat he has not
gotten as much by several cents per
pound as his neighbor, pronounces the
buyer a fraud and swindler. And the
manufacturer, if he finds that the woods
from a certain section are generally
poor in quality, will look elsewhere for
his supply, and the grower must take
less for his clip. Co!man's Rural
World.