S24 WOOL. 



depends on the fineness of the fibre, which should not, 

 however, go the length ot* weakness. Fineness is in 

 turn mainly connected with the yolk, the secretion of 

 which ouf^ht, on that account, to be promoted by atten- 

 tion to the genera] management of the animal, as it is 

 well known to undergo a change of properties by 

 starvation, exposure, oi any neglect whatever. 



(32.) Particular soils injurious to Wool. — Soil, also, 

 has much influence on the pliability of wool. Chalky 

 lands, which are so notorious for injuring the fleece, 

 are supposed to act in the manner of a corrosive, but 

 the correct explanation is, not that the chalky particles 

 attack the fibre in a direct way, but that they render it 

 brittle, by absorbing the oily moisture with which it is 

 naturally imbued. Moreover, the plants growing in 

 such situations cannot but be injurious to sheep, owing 

 to their impregnation, though a slight one, with cal- 

 careous matter ; for grooms know well how soon a 

 horse's coat becomes disordered by the frequent use of 

 hard or well water, and prefer, therefore, the river for 

 their steeds.* 



(33.) Felting. — The felting of wool may be defined 

 as a property depending on the curls and serrations 

 of the fibre, by w hich it is allowed to move only with 

 the root foremost, and by which it is enabled to catch 



* I am surprized to find it asserted at page 76 of the book on Sheep, 

 published by the Society for the diffusion of Useful Knowledge, that the 

 depilatory action of lime-water on raw hides is a " striking elucidatnm" 

 of the injurious effects of chalk on wool. Lime removes hair from a 

 kin because it is a powerful caustic, and, as such, speedily decom|X)ses 

 the animal matter, but the carbonate of lime (chalk) is perfectly iiino 

 i^uous to wool, except so far as it combines with its oil ; and is as little 

 corrosive to the fleece, as pipe-clay to a soldier's coat. 



