FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 131 



The structure of wool, discovered by modern investi- 

 gation, suggests other uses. Wool is covered with 

 sharp projections, running in a uniform direction from 

 the root towards the outer end. They may be com- 

 pared to the projections on the beards of wheat or 

 barley, only they are so fine that it requires a power- 

 ful microscope to observe them. Mr. Youatt, the dis- . 

 coverer of them, found 2,560 in the space of an inch 

 on fine Merino wool, 2,720 on an inch of Saxon wool, 

 and that their number increased in proportion to the 

 fineness of the fibre. These inconceivably minute 

 points occasion the felting of wool. Remove them by 

 heated combs, as is done in the manufacture of wor- 

 steds, and wool will not felt more than hair. 



Every motion of the sheep causes the portions of 

 the fleece between the surface cracks to slide on each 

 other. Those cracks are the joints of the fleece. If 

 these masses were utterly dry, instead of being lubri- 

 cated with yolk, the continual friction of their sides 

 would cause injurious abrasion. The sharp processes 

 which cause felting would be rubbed off from a por- 

 tion of the wool, and that property of the wool pro- 

 portionably damaged. Again : if the wool were dry, 

 heavy rains, rubbing together and other circumstan- 

 ces, would unquestionably cause felting on the carcass, 

 and in the case of very fine wooled sheep, to a de- 

 structive extent. I have never seen either of these 

 uses of yolk suggested before ; but am I mistaken in 

 supposing that the facts are too obvious to admit of 

 question ? 



To what extent yolk should be propagated in wool, 

 is a matter of some doubt. If the manufacturer will 

 pay the same price for it he pays for the wool, it is 



