WOOL-SCOURING 141 



" kilns," and they are used by several firms in Australasia. The 

 wool has to be frequently turned to prevent it from scorching, and 

 to ensure it drying evenly. The best artificial wool-drier I have 

 seen, and one that is used by all the large English and Australasian 

 wool-scourers, has five shelves inside it, one above the other. 

 The wool enters the machine and is forced up to the first shelf 

 by a current of hot air, which is produced by fans working at 

 a high speed. This continuous current of hot air drives the wool 

 along the shelves as indicated by the arrows in the diagram. In 

 this manner it goes right through the machine and comes out 

 perfectly dry. Wool dried in this manner cannot be scorched, 

 as it is constantly on the move. The hot air opens it up and 

 it leaves the machine in a nice, open, and fleecy-looking 

 condition. 



SCOURING SMALL SAMPLES. 



Many students like to scour small samples of wool and 

 to work out the yields ; 10 to 12 oz. of wool is a sufficient 

 quantity to test. The following method will be found to give 

 good results for small samples. First get a small washtub or 

 similar dish, then pare a few thin slices off a piece of soap and 

 dissolve them in hot water in the dish. The average temperature 

 of the water in which wool is scoured is 115 F., though in 

 scouring a sample for testing the main object is the removal of all 

 the dirt and yolk, and the water is generally tested with the hand. 

 The water should be hot enough to allow one to bear the hand 

 in it. In fact, a good many wool-scourers test the heat of their 

 scouring tanks by the hand, and rarely use a thermometer. When 

 the soap has been dissolved the hot water should have a soft 

 or slimy feel ; if it has not, more soap should be added till it 

 acquires that feel. Now put the wool you desire to test into this 

 liquor and stir, or, better still, puddle it so that the liquor covers 

 it all. One of the main things is to have plenty of liquor, because 

 the wool will not scour well if it has an insufficient quantity. 

 Leave it in the liquor for five minutes, or longer, keeping it on 

 the move the whole time. The wool should now be taken out 



