N. BURGESS ON THE WOOLS OF COMMERCE. 25 



alludes to its "felting" property. He states tliat "the fibre, ex- 

 amined under a powerful microscope, appears like a continuous 

 vegetable growth, from which there are sprouting, and all tending 

 one way from the root to the other extremity, numerous leaves, as- 

 suming the appearance of calices or cups, and each terminating in a 

 sharp point. It is easy to conceive how readily one of these fibres 

 will move in a direction from the root to the point, while its retrac- 

 tion must be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible. It was a fibre 

 of merino wool that was first submitted to microscopic observation, 

 and the number of these serrations or projections counted. There 

 were 2,400 in the space of an inch. A fibre of Saxon * wool, finer 

 than that of the merino, and of acknowledged superior felting 

 quality, was substituted. There were 2,720 serrations." South- 

 down is stated to have 2,080, and Leicester wool of less felting pro- 

 perty, 1,860 serrations in the inch. 



The writer further states " There can be no doubt as to the 

 structure of the woolly fibre. It consists of a central stem, or stalk; 

 from these spring at diff'erent distances circles of leaf-shaped pro- 

 jections, possessing a certain degree of resistance, or of entanglement 

 with other fibres, in proportion as these circles are multiplied, and 

 they project from the stalk. They are sharper and more numerous 

 in the ' felting ' wools, and in proportion as the * felting ' property 

 exists. They are connected with, or it may be confidently asserted 

 they give to the wool the power of ' felting,' and regulate the degree 

 in which that power is possessed." 



P. H. Gosse, in his " Evenings at the Microscope," gives a 

 description of wool similar to the above. 



The Hon. Mrs. Ward gives a fair illustration of wool, and shews 

 no serrations on the edge. 



Dr. Lankester, in his '< Uses of Animals," treats of the subject, 

 but admits his ignorance ol' technical terms. The term " picked 

 tegg," which he does not understand, refers to a fine kind, also 

 called " picklock," sorted oat of a tegg fleece, a " tegg" fleece being 

 the first fleece of mature growth cut from a sheep not previously 

 shorn. In his figures of wool, Nos. 7, 8, 9, and 15, Dr. Lankester 

 gives illustrations of Spanish merino. Southdown, Leicester, and 

 finest Spanish, which are very well done, but do not throw any 

 light on the subject. There is no scale of magnification given, and 



* Saocon wool is now the only known living type of the original merino sheep 

 of Spain. ^* 



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