SOW TO JITDGE WOOL. 



151 



The moment the health of the sheep fails, the growth of the wool 

 is arrested, along with the secretion of the oil or yolk, and the 

 continuity of the strength of the fiber is destroyed to the great 

 reduction of its value. 



Fineness. In a perfect fleece, the wool should be equally fine 

 over the whole body ; coarser wool may be looked for, if any- 

 where, on the top of the shoulders and the rump, and a weaker 

 quality on the breast and belly. The finest wool is but y 1M o of 

 an inch in thickness, ordinary wools VTSO to y 85 o of an inch in 

 diameter. 



Curl. The curl of the wool is very important. This is the 

 waved or crimped character of the fiber which in the perfect wool 

 consists of minute bends or crimps. There should be a perfect 

 regularity in these waves, which ought not to be so abrupt as to 

 appear as folds. In very fine wool there should be at least 30 of 

 these waves to the inch in length. (See d, e, fig. 49.) 



Thickness. This quality refers to the closeness of the fibers 

 upon the skin. A pure Merino should have from 40,000 to 48,000 

 fibers upon every square inch of its skin. The weight of a fleece 

 must necessarily depend on this characteristic. 



Closure of the Fleece. The closure of the fleece on its outer 

 surface is of great importance, for the reason that a well closed 

 fleece is im- 

 pervious to 

 dust and dirt 

 which would 

 other wise find 

 its way into 

 the wool and 

 injure its 

 quality. The 

 closure is ef- 



Fig. 50. 



footed by the abundance of yolk 



which gathers at the ends of the 



wool, and mats the fibers together. 



The viscid gum gathers dust, that 



coats the fleece with a black surface, which feels to the hand 



as a firm crust. When the crust is pressed the elasticity of 



the fleece is at once perceived. Upon parting the fleece to inspect 



the wool, the experience or ignorance of the operator is at once 



perceptible. He should grasp the fleece at the points of the fibers 



with the fingers and thumbs of both hands, and part the surface 



