CHAPTER XII 

 WOOL-CLASSING 



Cost of classing Selecting suitable labour American requirements 

 Tender wool Skirting the fleece Naming sorts or classes Suitable 

 classes of wool for Merino sheep in the different States Classing 

 Merino lambs' wool Classing Cross-bred wool Classing farmers' and 

 graziers' lots Classing large farmers' clips Classing pure-bred 

 English long wools, such as Lincoln, Leicester, Cotswold, etc. 

 Treating pieces, bellies, and locks Re-classing by wool-brokers, 

 dealers, etc. Mixed flocks. 



WOOL-CLASSING is the preparing of wool for market in as large 

 lines as possible, by keeping wool of the same money value and 

 quality, as far as practicable, together. The reason for this is to 

 enable each buyer to select a line of wool of even quality and 

 condition, that is suitable for his requirements. Wool classed 

 badly, such as where two or three distinct sorts are bundled 

 together, are not valued at all by a large number of big buyers. 

 The buyers who do purchase these mixed lots can in a good many 

 cases re-class and put them up for sale again, making them show a 

 profit. 



Some pastoralists complain of the expense of classing wool. 

 Now, getting wool up in a scientific manner costs from is. 6d. to 

 2s. per bale, while it adds at least ^d. or id. per Ib. to its value, 

 thus adding from 123. 6d. to a ^"i per bale to its unclassed value. 



Wool-classing at the present time is done very much better, and 

 more scientifically than it was a few years ago. Some of our 

 Australian pastoralists spare no expense in the getting up of their 



wool clips. You have only to go into the sale-rooms at Sydney, 



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