VALUE OF MEDIUM WOOLS. 149 



OHIO AND PENNSYLVANIA WOOLS. 



Choice Saxony fleece XX 50c.@53 c. 



Full blood Merino X : 4&c.(3)50 c. 



$ blood Merino 50c.@54 c. 



i blood Merino 45c,@47ic. 



ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, AND IOWA WOOLS. 



Super Saxony 45c.@50c. 



Full blood Merino 45c.(o)50c. 



f blood Merino 46c.(o)50c. 



The demand of manufacturers is clearly for medium wools, the 

 3 reduce of half-bloods or grade Merinos, or of crosses of Merinos 

 with Southdowns. The chief difficulty in wool-growing is the 

 tendency on the part of farmers to run in a crowd upon the same 

 variety and quality ; at one period it will be fine wool, at another 

 combing wool, and often they are led to breed without knowledge 

 or judgment. A great variety of wools is needed to meet the de- 

 mands of manufacturers, and .when a farmer has become possessed 

 of a flock of the right sort, his best course is to keep to it, and not 

 change because a temporary decline in his class of wool discour- 

 ages him for a season. In addition to these grade Merino wools, 

 there is a constant and increasing demand for combing wools for 

 worsted and coarse fabrics. 



Combing wools are those fitted for a process known as combing, 

 which consists in drawing out the fibers so that they are straight 

 ^nd parallel, the shorter portions of the wool called " noils " being 

 removed by the operation. The fibers are then spun into worsted 

 yarns ; the ends of the fibers being covered in the spinning, these 

 yarns are smooth and lustrous. In carding, the fibers are placed 

 in every possible position with regard to each other ; the ends 

 projecting from the yarn, form a nap hi the woven fabric which 

 covers and hides the threads. Carding wool must therefore be 

 short and full of curls ; combing wool, on the contrary, needs to 

 be long and free from curls and of a bright and lustrous surface. 

 Long Merino wools, although they are combed for making fine 

 cloths without nap, and for delaines, cashmeres, coburgs, and other 

 dress goods, are not designated combing wools, but as delaine 

 wools. Common flannels require in their manufacture the coarsest 

 common native wools up to medium Merino wools. For fine 

 flannels, fine to the finest wools are used; for blankets, the most 

 ordinary native wools, " noils," medium Merino wools and South- 

 down and grade Southdown wools are used. For shawls, all 

 grades of Merino wools, up to picklock, are used ; some fleecy 

 varieties are made of worsted combing wools ; felted cloth skirts 

 and other goods are made of the lowest grades of wool, but the 



