FARMERS MISCELLANY 



299 



Thus, the wool of the fore shoulder is invariably the finest ; that 

 of about the middle of the trunk, the next ; and that of the flank 

 the coarsest : the latter too contains a greater amount of coarser 

 hairs, or there is a greater inequality of the fibres tiian elsewhere. 

 From my theoretical views of this diflference, I am inclined to think 

 that wool of the evenest grade will be found upon wethers, though 

 I have no facts to prove this, for I have not made examinations of 

 their wool as yet. 



Again : The diameter of the fibre of wool, referred to the French 

 standard of measures, is equal to the one-hundredth of a millimetre, 

 which is not far from the ojVo''^ P^rt of an inch. This one- 

 hundredth part of a millimetre, and the fibre of wool, are both 

 exposed to the same magnifying power of the microscope ; and each 

 division of the scale in fig. 1 represents this part of the inch when 

 seen under the same power as the fibre of wool, so that you may 

 have at a glance the comparative diameters of any two fibres under 

 examination. So much is stated by way of preparation for the 

 remarks which are to follow. 



Fig. 1. 



Figure 1, with the scale of measurement as the standard of comparison, 

 exhibits the comparative diameters of the wool fibre of the two 

 premium sheep; A 1, is the fibre of wool from the shoulder of 

 the second prenac^m sheep (Mr. Church's) ; 2, do. from the flank. 

 B 1, fibre from die shoulder of the first premium sheep (Mr. 

 Crocker's) ; 2, do. flank. 



VOL. II. — NO. II. 



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