328 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



shepherd, and brings to the care and improvement of his flock an intelligent oversight that 

 may in vain be looked for in any of the countries whence clothing wools are exported.&quot; 



Classes and Grades of Wool. Wool is divided according to the length of its 

 staple and fineness; thus we have the clothing wool, the combing, and the carpet or coarse 

 wools. It is divided by governments for tariff and wool merchants into these three classes, 

 each of which have their respective grades. Wool merchants separate each division into as 

 many classes or grades as there are distinct qualities of staple in each division, to suit the 

 purchaser. Manufacturers take the fleeces and separate them into as many classes as there 

 are distinct qualities of staple in each fleece, according to its length, color, lustre, fineness, etc. 



Clothing wool is generally divided into three classes, viz.: fine, medium, and coarse. 



The superfine, or finest of the fine wool, is essential to the manufacture of the finest 

 faced goods, such as broad-cloths, doeskins, etc. Fine wools are also necessary for making 

 various other kinds of fabrics, such as cassimeres, overcoatings, and the finer qualities of 

 gentlemen s apparel, shawls, flannels, cashmeres, merinos, and other varieties of ladies dress 

 goods, etc., besides all mixtures of wool with shoddy; the largest and finest wools being used 

 to carry wool substitutes. 



Combing-wools are used for shawls, fancy knit goods, worsteds, alpacas, mohair lustres, 

 damask for furniture, all kinds of reps, etc. The combing of wool consists in drawing out 

 the fibres straight and parallel; then twisting into threads called worsted, the ends in 

 spinning being covered, making the yarn smooth and lustrous. The staple is generally from 

 five to eight inches long, having a few spiral curls or serratures with distinct lustre. 



The wools of the Cotswolds, Leicesters, Lincolns, and Down breeds are especially 

 adapted to combing purposes. 



The coarser the staple, the longer it generally is. Combing wools are classed into fine, 

 medium, and coarse grades. 



Carpet or coarse wools are used for the warp of ingrain carpets, two or three-ply, and 

 the filling of Brussels. The longest is combed for this purpose, while the shorter-stapled 

 coarse wool is used for the carpet fillings. It is also used in the manufacture of blankets, 

 rugs, etc. 



The value of all kinds of wool is determined by its strength, lustre, working qualities, 

 and shrinkage. Sheep that are not well cared for produce a wool of inferior quality, being 

 coarse and uneven in fibre, consequently wanting in strength and the other qualities essential 

 to rendering it valuable. Hon. J. L. Hayes, who, in company with able foreign and Amer 

 ican experts, had an opportunity, in his official capacity, to study our own wool products in 

 comparison with those of other countries at the International Exhibition, says: 



&quot; In woolens proper, we make, with no exception now occurring to us, all the classes of 

 fabrics made in the best European mills. The same may be said of hosiery. In worsteds, 

 we make all mixed cotton and wool dress goods the classes of dress fabrics entering into 

 most general consumption, and therefore of the first utility and many all-wool worsteds. 

 We do not make the all-wool merinos and cashmeres, which are not made successfully even 

 in England, nor some other fine wool novelties in dress goods, which are obtained wholly in 

 France. Their use is confined to the wealthy and fashionable classes. Some we have very 

 recently attempted with signal success such as the all-wool merino plaids and matelasses 

 and shall doubtless make them all, except possibly the merinos and cashmeres. In carpets 

 we produce every variety, except the Persian and Turkish and the Aubusson hand-made 

 carpets, used only by the opulent classes. 



In woolens, we are inferior only in broadcloths, and that not in quality but in quantity 

 of production, the general disuse of broadcloth, except for dress suits and by the wealthy, 

 making it more profitable for our mills to run on goods in general demand. That we have 

 no want of capacity is shown by the product of the few mills who still pursue this branch 



