142 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



and of poorer quality, the wool ceases to grow, and becomes very dry, 

 harsh, and wiry; when the improved feed begins to make its mark on 

 the condition of the sheep, the wool starts out with great vigor and rapid 

 growth, often presenting in the fleece a top and bottom growth of 

 entirely different character, and always presenting a point of demarca- 

 tion at which a very gentle tension will break the fibre as evenly as if 

 divided by a pair of shears. 



Many samples of wool from the lower portion of the State, and some 

 from the coast and upper counties, last spring showed this defect in a 

 most marked degree, and, though having a fair amount of yolk, were so 

 tender throughout the entire length of the staple as greatly to impair 

 their value. 



From this cause it will be impossible to grow in California, under the 

 present system, a staple that will be classed with strong wools, or t<j cul- 

 tivate with any success those much desired and highly marketable styles 

 called combing wools, for which the chief requisites are, sufficient length, 

 perfect uniformity, and even strength. 



In this alternation of feeding, from a good and abundant supply to a 

 poor and scanty allowance, is also involved the production of those qual- 

 ities of softness and lustre so greatlj x desired. 



We have remarked that our climate is finely adapted to sheep, and 

 that as a general thing they show no deterioration in size of carcass, or 

 in weight and quality of the fleece; indeed, Ave have evidence in many 

 instances of a marked increase in the size of the sheep and weight of 

 fleece, yet there is a wide difference in the character and value of wools 

 of equal fineness from different parts of the State, arising probably from 

 some unexplained climatic influence, or from the character of the soil 

 over which the sheep range. For example: the wool from the upper 

 Sacramento valley possesses the softness and life which adapt it to pur- 

 poses of manufacture in a much greater degree than that from the San 

 Joaquin or the southern coast counties. From the latter section the wool 

 is generallj T dry, brittle, harsh, and wiry. The difference may be better 

 appreciated from the fact that parcels of wool of extra softness will work 

 up in the factory from one to two grades above its absolute fineness, 

 while these wiry wools commonly work as far below their grades. In 

 the former localities the range is gravelly and free from dust, the grasses 

 light, but sweet and highly nutritious; in the latter, the soil more or less 

 alkaline, and the grasses coarser and rougher. Indeed, in some localities 

 so much alkaline dust adheres to the wool that manufacturers inform us 

 they can scour it thoroughly without the use of soda ash or soap, the 

 wool reall} 1 - cleansing itself sufficiently. 



In the preparation of wool for market, our wool growers have made 

 great improvement within the past few years, yet* there are, annually, 

 many and well founded complaints on this ground. Care in the processes 

 of shearing, tying, and sacking, is all that is required to present wools 

 favorably, and policy, as well as common honest} 7 , requires the removal 

 of all foreign matter, such as tag-locks, corral dirt, sticks, sand, and 

 stones. 



The grease or natural oil of the wool cannot so well be avoided, be- 

 cause there are few places where the sheep could be properly washed 

 before shearing; but it is here worthy of note that the tendency of our 

 wools is to dryness and light supply of oil, so that, with the exception 

 of the high-bred merinos and merino crosses, the average shrinkage of 

 California unwashed wool, in the process of scouring for the factory, is 

 from five to ten per cent less than the shrinkage of eastern washed 



