The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-03-17
WOOL-How it is pre-
pared for market is in
teresting story.

rolled up in bundles and sent to the
MILL where they must be sorted. Not
only do the various kinds OF sheep
furnish widely different qualities of
wool, but different qualities are OBJ
tanned from the same animal. The
best wool comes from the sides and
shoulders. That cut from the head
and chest is irregular and likely 10
be filled with burrs, and that from
the lower parts of the body is usual
~ short, worn and dirty.
Secured
Although the fleece may have been
washed on the sleeps back by tho
farmer or iiockmasler. it still has to
be secured Securing ribs the wool
thoroughly Of the stains Of Garth and
dust which it has picked up, and
the greasy matter. called "yolk, "
secreted by the skin of the animal.
The wool is then dried and is ready
for 'mixing'-the blending OF sew.
Cral qualities of wool-to produce
cloth Of the desired quality. II other
materials are TO be mixed with the
wool-as silk, cotton or shoddy--
they may be added at this stage.
Usually, however, they are twisted
with the wool yarn after spinning,
or combined in the weaving.
The wool is now oiled to restore It's
natural pliancy. and is ready for
"carding," an operation which pulls
the fibers apart so that they lie
loosely. separate IN a uniform film.
This is done by revolving cylinders
covered with leather strips in which
fine, long wire teeth are fixed. II
the wool is to be used for "wor.
steds," it must be combed, in addi-
ton to being carled, to make the
fiDers lie parallel TO one another,
so that the threads when spun will
he regular in shape and com
pact. The wool for "woolens" Is
not combed, but after emerging
from the carding machine in light
strands called "rovings," goes di-
rectly to the spinning room. where
the mixed and matted fibers arc spun
into Il loose, irregular thread.
Yarns
In the spinning room the fibers
are drawn out and spun into n
single yarn. The yarns are then
twisted into two. three or four
strands, or used singly. depending
upon the coarseness or fineness OF
the fabric to be made. Soft fragile
yarn is often used for ''weft" or
filling" but the warp threads must
he able to bear much greater strain,
and are twisted harder. Formerly
nearly all wooden goods were dyed
after leaving the loom, but now the
practice is becoming more general Of
dyeing the yarn before tho spinning
After the cloth leaves tho loom an
other series OF operations begins.
First, the material passes Under the
inspection II young women, who.
with needle and thread. make good
any defects of knotted or broken
yarns. Then the cloth is saturated
with hot water and soap and rubbed
between slow-revolving rollers for
many hours to give the amount OF
shrinkage desired. This process is
known as "fulllng' or milling" The
soap is then washed out and the
cloth is stretched so that il may dry
evenly. Next the nap is raised up
in "teazellng" machine, by means
of thousands of little steel hooks,
which scratch the surface. and then
trimmed by very fine machine,
which acts on the principle OF the
lawn mower. After being pressed be.
tween hot plates and dry-steamed TO
impart luster. it is finally ready for
market.
The Ouput
The United States wool clip"
averages about 30O,O00,0OO pounds
each year. most Of which comes
from the big flocks Of the sparsely
settled Western States. This, how.
ever, is less than half OF what its
mills and factories require, and the
rest must be made up from imports,
chiefly OF low-grade carpet" woods
from the Orient. The wool manu-.
featuring industry is centered\ IN
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania
Australia is the worlds largest wool
producer, holding the same leader
ship in IT'S production that the
United States enjoys in cotton.
South, America, Europe. Asia and