WOOL-CLASSING 93 



petition will be spread over a larger range of our wools, which 

 will be of benefit to farmers and others, though it will be bad for 

 those growing high-class super wools, as the American buyers 

 need not confine themselves solely to these good wools as at 

 present. 



The next thing in classing is the length of the staple. It is not 

 advisable to put short-stapled wools with the longer and bulky 

 combing wools. The strength of the fibres or staples is also of 

 importance. Some wools have a tender staple that is, one that 

 will break at the weak part when subject to a light strain. Some- 

 times you find a distinct break in the wool, which can be seen by 

 looking closely at the staple. 



Some manufacturers cannot comb a tender wool profitably, 

 while others have machinery more suitable for combing this type, 

 and will readily purchase it. Tender wool should be kept by 

 itself when possible, as if put with the sound stapled wool it 

 would be unsuitable to a large section of the buyers and their 

 competition would therefore be lost. Another equally important 

 reason why it should be kept apart is that the tender wool is worth 

 about id. per Ib. less than the sound, providing the quality and 

 yield are the same. 



The best method for a classer to follow in testing the staple 

 to detect tender wool is as follows : Take the extreme tip of the 

 top end of the staple between the thumb and forefinger of the 

 right hand, letting the middle finger rest on top of the fore- 

 finger, then take the other end of the staple between the thumb 

 and forefinger of the left hand and smartly draw the third finger 

 across the centre of the staple. (See diagram, p. 94.) If the staple 

 is tender this will cause it to snap off at the weak part. Tender 

 wool is caused by patchy seasons ; badly mixed and very strong 

 solutions of sheep dips are also responsible for it. If the sheep 

 have been having a bad time on poor feed, and rain starts and the 

 grass springs up, the wool will start growing very quickly, but 

 where it starts you will nearly always find it tender, and in cases 

 where the change in the pastures has been from very poor country 

 to very good you will often find a distinct break in the fibre . 



