148 THE SHEPHERD'S MAKUAL. 



the touch. The presence of a considerable amount of yolk in the 

 fleece is justly supposed to indicate a superior quality in the wool, 

 and -while excessive yolk is undesirable, it is a disputed point just 

 when that excess begins. A fleece of Merino wool that loses one- 

 half in washing, can scarcely be said to have an excess of yolk. 

 Many breeders do not hesitate to go beyond this, and insist that 

 no amount of yolk can be called excessive. In this view they are 

 supported by the high authority of Mr. Youatt, who has said : 

 " farmers never bestow a thought on yolk, and neither understand 

 nor care about it ; this question without doubt will some day be 

 regarded as one of the very cardinal and essential points of the 

 sheep." Mr, Randall, our highest authority on fine wool, in his 

 work previously referred to, does not favor the production of yolk 

 to an excessive extent. He very justly remarks that when manu- 

 facturers cease to pay the same price for excessively yolky wools 

 as for those which are only moderately yolky, the breeding of 

 sheep that produce four pounds of yolk for one pound of wool, 

 must go out of fashion. Perhaps this matter may safely be left in 

 the hands of the manufacturers, who are not apt to pay for what 

 they do not want ; and while they continue to buy excessively 

 yolky wool, it will be most profitable for the farmer to produce it. 



CLASSIFICATION OF WOOLS. 



Wool is generally classed as short and long. It is also graded as 

 superfine, fine, medium, and coarse. The terms carding and combing 

 wools are no longer sufficiently distinctive, as many kinds of wool 

 are now combed that were formerly carded, and the continued 

 improvement of combing machinery gradually adds to the list of 

 combing wools. Merino wools of less than three inches in length 

 are now combed, as are the short wools of the Southdown grades. 

 It is very important for wool-growers to know exactly the wishes 

 and needs of the wool manufacturers, and to seek this knowledge 

 should be their constant aim. At present, and for some time past, 

 the coarse and medium wools have, in many parts of the country, 

 borne the same price as the finest Merino wools ; in some markets 

 fleeces of one-quarter and half-blood Merinos have sold for more 

 than those from full-blood animals. The quotations of wool hi the 

 New York Mercantile Journal of July 29th, 1875, were as follows: 



NEW YORK, MICHIGAN, AND INDIANA WOOLS. 



Super Saxony fleece ." , . .50c.( 



Full blood Meriuo .50c.( 



i to t blood Merino 48c.< 



Common fleeces 45c.< 



Combing wool 



