WOOL. 



WOOL. 



ence between hair and wool. The fibre of I a single fleece ; and if the best wool of one 



wool is crisped or curled, the curls increasing 

 according to the fineness and felting property 

 of the wool: hair is often disposed to curl, but 

 in an inferior degree. The distinction, there- 

 fore, between these substances is more in de- 

 gree than intent. Wool is decidedly crisped 

 and serrated ; hair is sometimes curled, but to 

 an inferior degree, and the irregularities of its 

 edge, in some few cases, assume the frrn of 

 slight serrations. Wool will felt: hair will 

 only ent:ingle and harle to a limiie.l extent. 

 See FKLT and HAIR. 



The old and apparently simple division of 



to 



LAMB-SKINS, and SHEKP. 



Price of Southdown Wool in England, in different 

 Years. 



wool was into long and short, or, accordin 

 the purposes to which it was devoted, 

 ing" and "clothing wool;" but there was con- 

 siderable difficulty in arranging some fleeces 

 which were of intermediate lengths, and con- 

 vertible to either purpose. A third subdivision, 

 that of "middle wool," has recently been added. 

 These are again divided into subordinate 

 classes, according to the fineness of the fibre, 

 " In sorting wools," says Mr. McCulloch, " there 

 are frequently eight or ten different species in 

 Jin Account of the Quantity and declared Value of British Woollen Manufacture* exported from the 

 'United Kingdom in the Year 1841. (Parl. Paper, No. 23/Sess. 1842.) 



fleece be not equal to the finest sort, it is thrown 

 to a 2d, 3d, or 4th, or to a still lower sort, of an 

 equal degree of fineness with it. The best 

 English short native fleeces, such as the fine 

 Norfolk and Southdown, are generally divided 

 by the wool-sorter into the following sorts, all 

 varying in fineness from each other: viz. 

 1. Prime; 2. Choice; 3. Super; 4. Head; 5. 

 Uownrights; 6. Seconds; 7. Fine Abb; 8. 

 Coarse Abb; 9. Livery; 10. Short coarse, or 

 breech wool. The relative value of each va- 

 ries, according to thegreaterdemand for coarse, 

 fine, or middle cloth.* 



( Youalt on Sheep ; 



HnkeioeWs Observations on Wool; Lwror.k on 

 Wool ; Anderson on Wool.) See ALPACA, FLKECE, 



1154 



