76 THE SHEEP AND WOOL INDUSTRY 



thoroughly mixed and opened-out fibres. After carding the wool 

 goes through a machine called a backwasher. Backwashing is 

 really a second scouring operation, the carded sliver being washed 

 so as to remove any dirty matter which has escaped the first 

 scouring. Manufacturers who do not sell their tops, but make 

 them up into yarns and cloth, very seldom use the backwasher. 

 The only advantage of backwashing is the improved colour of the 

 top. The colour is very often further improved artificially by 

 blueing. Backwashing should be done without it if possible, as it 

 is detrimental to the wool when it is undergoing the spinning 

 process owing to the natural oil being removed, and the heat the 

 sliver is subjected to when being dried is inclined to make the 

 fibres more brittle than need be. 



During the process of backwashing or carding about 3 per cent, 

 of olive oil is added to the wool or sliver. This prevents the wool 

 from felting during the carding and following operations, besides 

 making it softer to work. 



Gilling is the next operation. The wool is put through what is 

 called gill boxes, which lay all the fibres straight and parallel to 

 one another, thus leaving them ready for the combing which 

 follows. 



The object of combing is to remove from the wool all the short 

 and inferior fibres, and to straighten out and lay parallel all the 

 remaining long ones. This is done by a combing machine. 

 There are several types of combing machines, but the one most 

 used by English and Colonial manufacturers is known as the 

 " Noble Comb." The French manufacturers mostly use what is 

 known as the " French Comb." This comb is the most eco- 

 nomical for working short and shabby Merino wools ; it is 

 very fine in build and only removes the very short, curly fibres, 

 leaving in the short, straight ones which most other combing 

 machines would take out as noil. This is the reason why the 

 French section can buy almost any of our short wasty wools and 

 get better results from them than other manufacturers. Following 

 combing come drawing and roving, which reduce the top or tops 

 to a thin sliver suitable for the spinning operations which follow. 



