42 Report upon the Agricultural Features 



itself, as in C. The best and most approved curl, that which 

 gives spring and elasticity as well as preserves the strength of 

 the wool, may be described as a minute and regular serration, and 

 is shown by the line marked A. 



Thickness. This quality refers to the thickness of the wool 

 upon the skin, and is closely connected with the presence 

 of those wrinkles so characteristic of the Merino sheep. Large 

 folds of skin appear about the neck, and just above the tail- 

 (making "the rose"), in the true Merino, and especially in the 

 rams. Young lambs, however, show the same peculiarity ; and 

 while the wool is short, similar but smaller wrinkles are ob- 

 servable over the entire body. The whole skin is completely 

 furrowed with these wrinkles, and consequently, the wool- 

 bearing surlVice is rendered very large. It is considered a point 

 of excellence in Austria when these wrinkles are numerous, 

 as they give a better " closure " to the fleece ; but in Saxony, I am 

 informed, a different taste prevails. The wool on the summit 

 of the folds seen about the neck is a little coarse, l)ut as the 

 area is small, this is not allowed to be a fault — only a character. 

 Fleischmann, as quoted by C. H. Macknight and Dr. H. 

 Madden, states that a pure Merino sheep will carry from 40,000 

 to 48,000 wool fibres on a single square inch of skin. 



Closure of stubble or jleece. The " closure " of the stubble or 

 outer surface of the fleece is very important, for if the fleece is 

 loose and open, dust and dirt find their way into the wool. 

 The closure is efltected by the abundance of the fat which rises 

 to the surface of the fleece, and there mats the ends of the 

 wool-fibres together, forming an almost continuous protec- 

 tion to the fine wool beneath. This is further added to 

 by dust which adheres to the grease and makes that firm 

 black limit to the fleece always observable in the Merino. 

 The hand passes over the stubble as over a sort of scale armour, 



-r,. ,., ci .• r ^i^<l when pressed the spring-iness of the 

 Fig. ^3.— Section of ,. ^ ^ • i r^ • n 



° Of 11] wool IS at once perceived. (Jpening a neece 



for purposes of inspection, is to l)e done 

 with knowledge, and indicates at once 

 whether the operator is at hoine with his 

 sul^ject. Grasping the points of the fibres 

 with both hands, the inspector 'parts the 

 wool and discloses the beautiful white, or 

 rich yellow, or orange-coloured wool below, 

 and then closes up the fleece again with- 

 out allowing any of the stubble ends to 

 find their way down into the clean wool. The accompanying 

 sketches, made on the ground, illustrate the effect, Avhich is 

 very striking, when a fleece is opened, and also what is called 



