FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 335 



After Merino wool has been sorted, as before directed? 

 and is to be manufactured in the Family, let it be covered 

 with soft water, mixed one-third with urine, and let it stand 

 fifteen hours, or longer if the weather be cold. A cauldron 

 is then to be put on the fire, with some soft water, and let 

 two-thirds of that which covers the fleeces be added to it. 

 When so hot as that the hand cannot bear it, take out the 

 wool, put it in a basket, press out the liquor, put the basket 

 in the cauldron, and there wash the wool by pressing, with- 

 out any wringing of it, and then cleanse it in runing water. 

 If the water in the cauldron become too dirty, take more 

 water from that in which it was first soaked. 



Dry the wool in the shade^ not in the sun ; let it then be 

 beat with a rod, which takes out all seeds, Sec. and softens 

 it; then pick it, by opening it lengthways carefully, and 

 card it with cotton, not with wool, cards. Carding machines 

 are advised not be used for this wool, unless particularly 

 fited tor it, 



The above is the European method of managing this 

 wool, before carding, &c. but Mr. Livingston thinks that 

 if the wool be carefully picked and carded, so as to get out 

 most of the dirt, and wove in this way, that it will answer 

 without washing; in which case less oil, or grease, will be 

 necessary. 



Common wool canot be carded too much ; Merino wool 

 may. In spining, the warp must be twisted the opposite 

 way from that of the woof, which should be spun more 

 loose, or slackly twisted, than that of the warp. For spining 

 the woof, the wool is to have one pound of oil, or grease, to 

 every four pounds; but, for the warp, one pound of oil to 

 every eight pounds of wool is the proper allowance. This is 

 for very fine spining; but, for spining coarser yarn, less oil 

 is necessary. Olive-oil is the best for greasing the wool ; 

 neatsfoot-oil is also very good and no doubt the oil which 

 is produced from the sunflower would be found as good as 

 either. 



See SUNFLOWER. 



The Farmer will find a great addition to his profits from 

 his Merino wool, by converting it into fine cloth, in his own 

 Family, if this can conveniently be done. 



Sheep of all kinds are subject to fewer diseases in this 

 Country than in most others. This article shall, therefore, 

 be concluded with noticing those most prevalent here, and 

 the remedies for each, together with some slight notice of 

 some which prevail abroad. 



Those of grown Sheep are as follows: 



The scab. This appears first by the Sheep rubing the 

 part affected, and pulling out the wool in that part with 



