CHAPTER XXVIII 

 SOMETHING ABOUT WOOL 



Before taking up the study of sheep, it is desirable to 

 first give some consideration to the subject of wool, in order 

 that one may understand its relationship to sheep hus- 

 bandry. 



The commercial production of Wool is a world-wide 

 industry, with some countries giving it much more attention 

 than others. According to estimates of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, the wool crop of the world 

 for 1921 amounted to 2,608,445,000 pounds. Australasia, 

 including Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, is the lead- 

 ing wool-producing part of the world, being credited with 

 798 million pounds. South America, more especially Argen- 

 tina and Uruguay, produced in 1921 approximately 460 million 

 pounds, while North America ranked third, producing about 

 250 million pounds. The only states in this country which 

 in 1920 had over 2,000,000 sheep each of all ages were Texas, 

 California, Idaho, Ohio, Montana, and Oregon in the order 

 given. In past years the United States has under average 

 conditions used in her mills about 550 million pounds of 

 wool, of which about 250 million pounds have been pro- 

 duced in this country. Boston is the great wool market of 

 America, and London of the United Kingdom of Great 

 Britain. 



A study of the structure of wool is very interesting. 

 This fiber grows, from the skin, and is similar in its origin 

 and composition to other skin tissues, such as nails, horns 

 and feathers. Wool grows from a gland known as the hair- 

 follicle located in the dermis, or middle layer of skin. This 

 follicle secretes a small amount of oil, and minute sebaceous 



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