WOOLLEN GOODS. 



4.3 



that occiipiecl at tlie pre.seiit time by the silk-wool .sheep. The jn-oduction of short. 

 fine breed wool, with a staple of four rentiiuetres, occupies the last place. Under the 

 influence of fashion, which has favoured smooth, unscoured cloth, and owing- to the 

 decline in the woollen industry, the high position once occupied by this branch has 

 necessarily surrendered to the two preceding branches. 



Eussian spinneries are supplied with foreign as well as with native wool. The 

 import for the fifteen j-ears from 1877 to 1891, is estimated as follows: 



Taking into consideration that under the heading of raw^ wool, scoured wool 

 which loses about 20 per cent in scouring forms a principal part, it may be esti- 

 mated that about 380,000 pouds of pure woollen fibre (raw Avool, combed and dyed) 

 are collected. Bearing in mind that one poud of clean wool is obtained from three 

 pouds of unscoured, it may be presumed that the amount of foreign wool imported 

 is equal to 1,100,000 pouds unscoured. Thus tlie total amount of unscoured merino 

 wool used in Eussia is about 2,600,000 pouds. 



* Artificial wool is included in this quantity. 



