WOOL-SCOURING 139 



sandy particles fall through this sieve and settle in the bottom 

 of the tank. When scouring very low or sandy wools the 

 liquor in the tanks has to be frequently run off and replaced 

 with fresh, and the dirt removed from under the sieves in the 

 tanks. 



After passing through the rollers at the end of the first tank, 

 it falls into the next, and it goes through the same operation till 

 it reaches the last tank, which is filled with water. The wool is 

 well rinsed in this tank to free it from soapy and any other foreign 

 matters it may contain. Of course, scouring does not remove the 



[From "Wool Manufacture," by R. Beaumont. 



INTERIOR OF WOOL-DRYING MACHINE. 



burr or other vegetable matter from the wool. Most of the water 

 is squeezed from the wool in the rollers at the end of this rinsing 

 tank. After leaving the rollers it falls into a fast-revolving cylinder, 

 which opens the wool up and throws it on the floor at the end 

 of the machine. It is then taken to be dried. This is often 

 done by spreading the wool out on sheets in the open air ; in 

 large establishments it is dried by artificial means. The machine 

 used is called a Drier. There are several types of drying 

 machines. Some consist of a floor of fine, strong wire netting. 

 The wool is spread over it in a thin layer and hot air is forced 

 up through it by large fans. These drying-rooms are called 



