370 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



theave in England until it bears its first lamb, after which it is called a 

 tour-teeth ewe; the year after it is called a six-teeth ewe, and after that it 

 is called a full-mouthed ewe. The dinmont in Scotland answers in England 

 to the word shear-hog until deprived of a fleece, when it is called two 

 shear wether. A barren ewe is called a barren gimmer or an eild ginrmer. 

 When three times shorn a ewe is called a twinter-ewe; after the fourth 

 shearing she is called a three-winter ewe. When a ewe ceases to give 

 milk she is a yeld ewe; when removed from the breeding flock she is a 

 draft-ewe: when put aside as unfit for breeding she is a gim- 

 mer or a draft gimmer. All drafts for fattening are called sheddings, 

 tails or drafts. 



In America we do not have so many names for the different kinds of 

 sheep. A young sheep here is called a lamb until it is a year old. When 

 its first fleece has been removed it is a shearling; when the second fleece 

 is taken it is a two-shear and so on. The female is called a, ewe and nor 

 a yeo, as some sheepmen are inclined to speak the name. A castrated 

 sheep is a wether and the male is always a ram and not a buck. A buck is 

 the male of deer and goats. A broken-mouth sheep is one that has begun to 

 shed her teeth; a full-mouth sheep is one having eight adult front teeth. 

 A pet lamb is a cosset lamb, and an old, broken-mouthed ewe is called a 

 crone. 



A great, many of our readers would like to know the terms often used 

 in the grading of wools in our wools markets, and we have grouped a lot 

 of terms that are very plain to the wool dealer, but the sheepman is not 

 fully acquainted with them. They are as follows: 



Unwashed — Fleeces as shorn from unwashed sheep. 



Washed — Fleeces from sheep washed in fresh water before shearing. 



Scoured — Wool scoured in a warm alkaline solution and rinsed to 

 clear water until entirely free from all foreign matter. 



Fleece Wool — Wool shorn from the live sheep. 



Pulled Wool — Wool pulled from sheep pelts. 



Brushed (pulled)— Wool pulled from sheep pelts after being treated 

 by a brushing machine. 



Dead Wool— Wool pulled from the carcasses of dead sheep. 



Cotted— Wool that, through disease, has loosened from the skin and 

 become pelted so as to be in more or less clothlike patches on the shorn 

 side. 



Kemps— Coarse hairs scattered through the fibers of the wool— such 

 wool is described as "kempy." 



Yolk— The natural oil found in all healthy fleeces; more abundant in 

 fine sheep than coarse; and in rams than ewes and wethers. 



Condition— Refers to cleanliness. Fleeces losing the least in ..souring 

 are in best condition. 



Character — Refers to length, strength of staple, luster, etc. 

 Combing and Delaine — Must be of full length, strong and of even 

 strength throughout the fiber. 



