Journal of 



Applied Microscopy. 



Volume II. AUGUST, 1899. Number 8 



The Conditioning of Wool and Other Fibers in the 

 Technological Laboratories of the Phila- 

 delphia Commercial Museum. 



SECOND PAPER. 



The epithelial scales of the wool fiber, mentioned in the preceding paper 

 (Jour. App. Micr. 2: 289-292, 1899), are very irregular (Fig. 2), and the 

 pressure of the cover-glass seems to have some influence, causing, here and 

 there, elongations during the fiattening; but it has been clearly established 

 that the Merino breed, and the first ten crosses have a form of epithelial 

 scale distinct from that of other breeds, and by studying these differences 

 we may be able to learn their characteristics as distinguished from those of other 

 breeds. The Merino scales are widest or broadest in the line of circumference 

 of the fiber, but extremely narrow in the line of axis of the liber. The scale of a 

 coarse wool fiber offers a very interesting contrast. The separation of these 

 epithelial scales is at all times a very delicate process, and is at lirst attended 

 with little success, the observer being unable to make solar projection drawings 

 which would give an approximate idea of their real character, but, with a little 

 practice upon one and the same fiber, each operation will teach more and more 

 of how and what to look for. We notice in Fig. 2 that some of the scales show 

 what appears to be the nuclei to which much attention has been given, but as 

 yet no positive conclusion has been reached, because there is still a possibility 

 that these apparent nuclei are caused by extraneous matter, although great care 

 has been taken that the fibers, before dissolving or separating the scales, should 

 be freed of yolk, fat, natural suint, and foreign matters. Hence any sugges- 

 tion as to the possibility of fatty globules being still present, must be dismissed 

 in favor of the nucleus theory. The separating of the scales accomplished, we 

 will now try to discover if possil)le the manner of attachment of these scales to 

 the fiber proper. l'"or that purpose we will take again a fiber of the Merino 

 blood, viz., the Cotswold fiber, and with a 13 eyepiece, and a one-eighth objective, 

 obtain an image of SOO X (Fig. ;}). This is a typical fiber of the Merino-Cotswold 

 breed. It shows the pointed and serrated edges of the trumpet-like epidermal 

 scales which point upward, and are free for over one-half of their entire length, 

 not unlike the growth of a rattan cane, especially near the root. Under the 



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