CHAPTER XVI 

 WOOL-BUYING 



How wool is valued English and Continental methods. 



THE price of any given wool depends on the percentage of clean 

 scoured wool it contains. Most pastoralists know that raw wool 

 contains a large quantity of greasy yolk, and in addition a con- 

 siderable quantity of earthy and vegetable matters of no use to the 

 manufacturer. Next in importance to the yield of the wool is the 

 quality, or, in plainer words, the diameter of the wool fibres. 



Some wools, such as Lincoln, Cotswold, and that from other 

 breeds of British long-woolled sheep are very coarse, w r hile the 

 Merino wools of this country are noted for their fineness. The 

 value of clean scoured Merino wool is just about double that of 

 clean scoured Lincoln or Cotswold wool. 



Following the yield and quality, the length of the staple or 

 fibres is next in importance, also their strength, as some wools 

 are tender, the fibres breaking when subject to any strain. 

 Burrs, seeds, and other vegetable matter also lower the price 

 of the wool, but buyers always reckon this loss when estimating 

 the yield, plus extra cost of removing them. 



English buyers buy combing wool on the percentage or yield 

 of top and noil. Tops are partially manufactured wool, the raw 

 wool being scoured and combed, the combing resulting in top and 

 noil, the former consisting of all the long and sound fibres, which 

 are spun into worsted yarns. The noils, consisting of all the very 

 short and broken fibres, are spun into woollen yarns, which are 

 woven into such goods as blankets, flannels, etc. 



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