32 BRITISH CLASSIFICATION OF WOOL. Take out a staple from this part, and give it a strong steady pull, holding one end in each hand. If this proves sound, depend upon it that the whole fleece is so too. This is an indispensable quality in a combing wool, as there should be an absence of breaches or withered portions. 5. Length of fibre must be carefully regulated by the nature of the pasture and climate; for any the least excess, will cause a proportionate deficiency in soundness, by which the wool will be depreciated for clothing, and rendered useless for combing. To judge of the length of the staple in a fleece, the best part to examine is the division along the ridge of the back, as it is there usually somewhat shorter than in other parts. 6. Softness sufficiently explains itself. A want of this quality is most conspicuous between the points of the shoulders and up the neck. Harsh wiry wool is more brittle, and suffers greater injury than soft wool in the various operations. The way then to judge wool on a sheep's back, if it is really a BRITISH CLASSIFICATION OF WOOL. 33 fine wool, is, first to examine the shoulders as the part where the finest and best wool is usually found. This we take as the standard, and compare it with the wool from the rib, the thigh, the rump, and the shoulder parts, and the nearer the wool from the various portions of the animal approaches the standard, the better. First, we scrutinise the fineness, and if the result is satisfactory, we pronounce the fleece in respect to fineness very "even." Next, we inquire into the length of the staple, and if we find that the wool on the ribs and back approximates reasonably in length to that of our standard, we again declare the sheep, as regards length of staple, true and even. We next desire to satisfy ourselves of the density of the fleece, and we do this by closing the hand upon a portion of the rump and of the loin wool-the fleece at these points being usually the thinnest and most faulty-and if this again gives satisfaction, we signify the fact by designating the wool "even" as respects density. Now to summarise these separate examinations: If you find the fleece of nearly equal fineness from the shoulder to the thigh, of nearly equal length on shoulder, rib, thigh, and back, and of like density on shoulder and across the loins, you may conclude that you have a perfect sheep for producing valuable wool. A comparison of these two lists of desiderata, British and Continental, will enable a fair judgment to be formed of the quality of wool. In the examination of wool the following points have also to be considered: the degree of imbrication of the surface as shown by the microscope; the quantity of fibre developed in a given space of fleece; the freedom of the fleece from burrs and other foreign matters; the skill and care employed in the scouring and other processes of preparation. "Kempy" wool is objectionable, and the term means the presence of short white hairs at the roots of the staple, which never take the dye, and disfigure all goods into which they are introduced. The hairy East Indian wool that is usually grown D 34 KEMPY OR HAIRY WOOLS. near the tropics, has a tendency to be burry and scurfy, with a slight mixture of grey hairs. There is, perhaps, no defect which renders wool, and otherwise good wool too, so absolutely useless for manufacturing, and especially for combing purposes, as tenderness and breechiness. This fault, which causes the staple to be tender, arises from the destructive effects of drought, cold, or other climatic causes, which check the growth of the grasses and deprive the sheep of their necessary regular supply of food. But nothing is so sure to cause a break in wool, and in many sheep a perfect stripping or shedding of the entire fleece, as want of water. It is not only important that wools should be free from the defects above described, but it is desirable that the whole of the various parts of the fleece should have, as nearly as possible, a uniformity of character, that is, as regards fineness, length of staple, density, and softness. The illustration on the opposite page represents the different characters of the wools chiefly utilised: No. 1 being Cape sheep's wool, No. 2 Spanish Merino, No. 3 Southdown, No. 4 Camel's hair, No. 5 Mohair, or fine goat's wool, No. 6 Alpaca, No. 7 Llama, No. 8 that of the Yak. In sorting wool for market, the fleeces should not be broken, but merely divested of the breech and stained locks, and assorted VARIETIES OF WOOL. 35 or arranged so that each bale or package may contain fleeces of the same character as to colour, length of staple, fineness of wool, and general quality. The wool from different parts of the same fleece is of various qualities, yet so sensitive by use do the fingers of the experienced stapler become, that it is with surprising rapidity he separates the masses before him into ten, twelve, or more kinds, taking due cognisance of the strength, cleanliness, regularity, colour, and softness of each. The fleece is sorted into combing and clothing wools, and broken fleece, or "pieces and locks." In dividing and stapling, the fleece is spread by the fellmonger and laid on the sorting board, sheared side down. To the unaccustomed eye it looks a fleece of wool, all of one colour and quality, but to the sorter the different qualities are widely distinct. He breaks the skirts for one sort, the flank for another, the middle of the back and fore shoulders for another; and when the sheep 36 TECHNICAL NAMES OF WOOL. has been crossed too broadly between coarse and fine, takes out the coarse piece which remains on the upper part of the neck, running up between the ears. The classification terms and names for these several kinds of wool vary in different localities. The following are the Yorkshire terms for "clothing" sorts, the first four being the choicest. The classification of the woolstapler is, to a certain extent, founded upon the difference of quality of wool arising from the parts of the body whence it is obtained; for example, that on the sides of the neck and shoulders, the ribs and back, is, as has been already stated, the finest part of the fleece; and next to this comes that which covers the thighs. But difference of race has also to do with the classification, for the wool on the breast of one sheep may be equal to that on the back of another; hence it is often not so much the object to separate the wools of the different parts of the body, as to put all the wool which may be adapted for one particular purpose by itself. A good fleece would generally come under the first four divisions, although portions might even belong to the sixth or seventh. The deep "combing" sorts of wool are thus classed: Saycast. Long coarse. Lusty. Long Neate. Long Drawing. Fine Drawing. Country Long Drawing. The following is the subdivision of a Southdown "tegg" fleece |
