Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-01-14
THE FARM AND HOME.
CURIOUS AND IMPORTANT
FACTS ABOUT WOOL.
Why sheep SHOULD Not Be washed-Hiii-
Ing Poultry ~ The ''iiest Way"
with Manure Farm Notes
and Home Hints.
rnets Aeout Vol.

/ a very scientific paper recently puo'
/ lished by Prof +. II. Bowman b &c,
| ELS. F.C.S.. etc. He tells us that
f, the tibres of wool are true appendages
OF the skin OF which they are tho
outer growth ard are made up OF
| exactly the same material as tho
horns ana hoois only in different
form. and have tho same methods OF
generation and growth Each fiber
\ is implanted in minute depression
! in the skin and fixed ia il by little
F., bulb Or knob which eneloses the pulp
| from which the fiber is generated.
I Every fiber IS double having core
more OF less cy lndricaL part OF wh CHI
| is imbedded in the little depression
in the skin, but the larger par. Of il
| 5 external 10 and outside or the skin.
/ The inacr part is the stem or shaft OF
I the fiber and IL decreases from the
| base or whore it is attached 20 the
skin toward the end where Il termin-
atcs when uncut in point more or
! less fine. This core Is wonderful
structure and is built up Of thousands
OF minute coils VIII CHI are wonderfully
co related 10 each other aud tho gen.
eral structure OF tho whole fiber,
II is calculated that in u single
her OF medium wool there are no
less than from five hundred 20 seven
i hundred cells in cross section aud
two hundred and fifty in linear inch
~ length so that for every Ia Il OF
wool there are about one hundred
, and twenty Eve thousand Of these
/ cells. These cells differ in form and
+ density in the variou, parts OF the
/ iibcr and it IS impossible 10 iniurc
any OF them without impalriug tho
value OF the whole FOR use in making
[ WOODEN goods. As we have said be.
| fore, this woOt fiber consists % two
principal parts composed of long
spindle 5 uped cells upon which the
7 cGht ana elasticity 81 tho wool
depends. Outside OF this there is
/ horny cells which bind The inner and
spindle.shaped cells together Uad this
outcr sheath gives tho ulster and
Ermuess 10 the iber The outer
sheath is built up in the regular why.
AL the scales having free margins or
edges which overlap each other like
the scales on u fish and on'iag in
the direction % tho point Of TIE ben
The finer the wool the more
numerous these scales arc, asa 10 Is
/ by turning the microscope on them
tIat dealers detect the miytura Of
different woods in cio.h aud other
fabrics. ~ healthy condition these
outer scales q, closely % tho inner
shaft Of the fbsr They are covered
all over with fine .elly.Iiko enamel
and 10 keep them from being disturb
cd nature provides u ualura, grease
which old.lashioned farmers call lex
and which English farmers call STUNT
and which modern farmers call yelk
This natural secretion Is very fatty.
pOtu Ii soap soluble In water and by
its covering tho whole surface OF the
iibcrs IL prevents the scales from
rubbing together and thus setting up
what IS called felt ng action which IS
simply the interviewing nf those
scales. to the great INJURY OF the
wool.
II would seem cutie reasonable to
suppose that this great surface OF
grease or ycIk is natural TO tho fine
wool sheep and necessary on account
OF the greater number OF scales IN the
outer sheath OF the fine wool II this
grease IS washed out the scales are
left without protection and by rubbing
together break their tine. delicate
free margin destroy tho luster and
injure the texibility OF the hbec This
grease also serves the further purpose
OF enswuihing all dirt or foreign mat.
to- and keeping il from cOmmunica-
ton with the delicate fiber OF the
wool. II THIS DO true. then it is we'll
that the washing OF sheep be nban.
doned. IL is found from a .tual %.
seryation that much OF tic cotting or
mating Of wool Is due not 10 tho pc
culiarities Of the brccd& but to some
disorder or disease in the sheen which
prevents the production 0. grouse in
the proper amount.
This lack OF grease makes The skin
hard and dry the sheep become rest.
less and cndcavor TO remove the irri-
tution ty rubbing themselves and
thus felt The wool into tangled
misses. It must also be apparent
that any lack OF condition. the result
OF want OF food exposure TO storms
or Diseases wilt be seen at once in
the decreased growth and weakness
OF the scales at the point ia the wool
which indicates tho time OF the year
when the exposure or hardship De-
cured and hence the exceeding
great Importance OF maintaining a
regular constant md stehdy growth
in sheep. not merely for the purpose
OF building up the animal system
economically but also for the pur-
puso Of producing wool that will be
OF It's full value
We call tho attention 10 this matter
says the Iowa Homestead. not merely
for the purpose Of giving our renders
some curious information-inio
tion not only curious but OF great
practical value--but also to call at
tention to the really wonderful and
interesting things that surround the
l