The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-16
FACTS ABOUT WOOL.
Differences Between Unwashed. Fleece
Washed, Tub Washed and Secured Wool.

Washed, Tub Washed and Secured WOOL.
1t is known to all shepherds nd.deal-
ers in wool. and especially to manufac-
turers of woolen goods, that large per
centage of the weight of wool as shorn
from the sheep is foreign matter, from
which the wool has 70 be cleansed before
it is manufactured In buying wool this
element Of waste isn very important one
to be considered. 1t differs widely in
different breeds, and is also affected
more or less by the condition in which
the sheep have been kept in clean pas
lures or otherwise while the wool was
growing. 1t is no easy matter to deter
mine by estimation the several proper
tions of wool and waste.
Asstated by dealers and manufacturers,
limewashed merino wool shrinkS from
so to so per cent. in securing. The light
est and choicest Australian medium un-
washed will yield 50 per cent. less of
secured wool, and the very heaviest buck
fleeces will yield about 20 per cent. Of
pure secured wool. Most of the unwash-
ed woods yield about so per cent of scour-
ed wool. Some of the light, open, coarse
unwashed woods of the carpet class will
yield as high as 70 per cent. of secured
wool. Fine Ohio full blood merino un-
washed wool (buck aeeces thrown out)'
yield from 35 to 40 per cent. of secured
wool. The merino fleeces grown in
Texas and on the western prairies
yield from 20 to 81 per cent. OF
secured wool. Unmerchantable Ohio
feeces yield from 35 to 40 per cent.
when secured. Cross bred Ohio feeces
washed on the sheep yield from GO to Is
per cent of secured wool and cross bred
western prairie fleeces from 80 to 80 per
cent. Tub washed woods generally yield
from so to 80 per cent. of secured wool
Secured woods, in the condition in which
they are usually prepared for sale, yield
from SIS to 80 per cent. of secured wool
on rewashing.
Wool is marketed as unwashed, fleece
washed, tub washed and secured. I'm
washed wool is the fleece in the con-
dition in which it was shorn from the
sheep. Fleece washed is wool that has
been washed on the sheep, usually in
streams of running water, before they
are shorn. Such washing, if thoroughly
done, will remove the alkaline portion
of the yolll and most of the earthly mat
ter, but leaves the animal oil in the
fleece. As sometimes practiced, it leaves
the wool but little if any better than
good unwashed. Tub washed is wool
washed by hand in tubs, as it is usually
done in a small way by farmers. If the
washing is done in cold water it is often
no better than fleece washed. When
washed with warm water and soap j.
may be made almost equal to scoureo
wool. Secured wool is wool washed in
warm alkaline bath and afterward
rinsed thoroughly in clear water until
it is absolutely clear and ready for man
ufacturing.
From the above it will readily be seen
that no rule of "one-third off for un-
washed" or, indeed, any other percent
age can have any general application in
the buying and selling of the clips with
out in most cases being unfair to the buy
er or seller. The consequence is, says
The New York WorldA from which the
above is quoted, that wool is now very
generally being bought on its merits, the
price varying according to its cleanness
and condition. Washing wool on the
sheep has also become far less common
than formerly.