464 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. — Nov., 1922. 



THE VALUE OF FINENESS AND LENGTH 



IN WOOL. 



lU V. I). IJOSK. 



(Note. — Mr. Rose first took the diploiiin course and tlieii tlie special sheep 

 and wool course at the («i'ootFoiitein Scliool ot A<iricultiire. After acting as an 

 assistant lecturer at that Institution for a coiisiderahle pei'iod, he secured a 

 (iovernnient bursary for study at the Technical College, Bradford. He has now 

 completed his course, and having secured an extension to his bursary, is 

 visiting the [)rincipal factories, markets, etc., in England prior to ins return. 

 — EniTOR-.) 



('-M'K ^vo()]s ill tlic ])asi liavc not ciijoyt'd a very ^^nod name in the. 

 Hradfnrd trade, but tlie very lapid iiiii)rnveiuent that has taken place 

 with 111 the last few years is Q'radiially making- itself felt, and liradford 

 lopmakers and si)iniiers are appreciatino- onr wools more to-day than 

 .ever before. 



The Union, g-enorally speaking, can be considered an essentially 

 fine wool-producing country, and in view of. the greatly diminishing 

 (juantities of line wools from other countries it would be to our 

 advantage seriously to consider the continued production of fine wools 

 of high quality. It is to this end that a few remarks on the value 

 of fineness and length in wool are made. 



The physical properties of a fibre always determine its nsefulness 

 tor the manufacture of particular fabrics, and the most important of 

 these properties are surface structiire, fineness, length, tensile 

 strength, elasticity, pliability, colour, and conductivity for heat. 

 The two properties, howevei', that concern the producer most are 

 fineness and lengtli, and the value of each in turn will be considered 

 from the point of view of usefulness in manufacture. 



The peculiar internal and external structure of the wool fibre, in 

 combination with the above-mentioned properties which it possesses 

 to a marked degree, leave it almost without a rival as a textile fibre. 

 Wool possessing both properties of fineness and length enables the 

 manufacturer to use it for a variety of purposes, whereas the lack of 

 either greatly limits its usefulness. Taking fineness as the first pro- 

 lierty, it will be of advantage to consider exactly what bearing fineness 

 lias on a few of the other more important properties, and Avhat part 

 these properties in their turn play in the actual s])inniiig value of 

 the fibre. 



Fine wools are, as a genera] rule, shorter than coarse wools, 

 ])ossess more waves, and a correspondingly greater number of serra- 

 tions or cuticle scales to the linear inch. This rule for all practical 

 purposes can be considered as definite, thougli exceptions do occur 

 as is the case in wools taken from different breeds of sheep. 



Variations in fineness of fil^-re occur not only in different breeds 

 of sheep, but in dif^'erent animals of the same breed, in various por- 

 tions of the same fleece, in successive clippings from an individual 



