WOOL. 



WOOL. 



ence between hair and wool. The fibre of 

 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 

 ra 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 



me few cases, assume the form of 

 slight serrations. Wool will felt; hair will 

 only entangle and harle to a limited extent. 

 See K fiim. 



The old and apparently simple division of 

 wool was into long and short, or, according to 

 the purposes to which it was devoted, " comb- 

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

 siderable difficulty in arranging some fleeces 

 which were of intermediate lengths, and con- 

 reriible to either purpose. A third subdivision, 

 that ot' middle wool," has recently been added. 

 These are again divided into subordinate 

 classes, according to the fineness of the fibre. 



mols," says Mr. McCulloch, " there 

 are frequently eight or ten different species in 

 jt jfccount of the Quantity and declared Value of British Woollen Manufactures exported from the 

 'I'nited Kingdom i>i the Year 1841. (Parl. Paper, No. 23,'Sess. 1842.) 



a single fleece ; and if the best wool of one 

 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 bes* 

 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. 

 Downrights; 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 the greater demand for coarse, 

 fine, or middle cloths." (Youatt on Sheep; 

 BakewelVs Observations on Wool; Luccock on 

 Wool; Anderson on Wool.} See ALPACA, FLEECE, 

 LAMB-SKINS, and SHEEP. 



Price of Southdown Wool in England, in different 



Years. 



1784 

 1785 

 1790 

 1795 

 1600 

 1805 



1810 

 1815 

 1820 

 1825 

 1830 

 1833 



t- d. 



2 4 



1 11 



1 5 



1 4 



10 



1 5 



