FOR MUTTON AND WOOL 119 



170. Softness. By pressing the fleece with the hand 

 the softness of it can readily be approximated. This 

 feature is opposed to harshness. The softness of the fleece 

 not only depends greatly on the management, but also on 

 the nature of the food and the soil. In reference to the 

 foods, those that are rich in sulphur have been observed 

 to have the most influence on the softness of the wool. 

 It is interesting to know that in one hundred pounds of 

 wool there is at least five pounds of sulphur, and it seems 

 that the abundance of this in the food, has an effect on 

 this feature of softness in the fleece. It is well known 

 that soil has a strong influence on the properties of wool, 

 especially in regard to its softness. Clay soils are con- 

 sidered to produce the softest wool, of the best lustre and 

 next to these ranks sandy soils, and lastly, those of the 

 nature of limestone. Chalky soils have been noted for 

 the deterioration they produce in the softness of the wool. 

 Harshness of the fleece is generally due to the absence of 

 yolk which has resulted from ill health on the part of the 

 sheep or from exposure. Considering the nature of the 

 fiber of wool, it is easy to understand how anything, such 

 as ill health or exposure which effects the secretion of 

 yolk is certain to make the wool harsh. A fiber of wool 

 is covered with a series of scales which overlap in a sim- 

 ilar manner to the shingles on a roof. When the secre- 

 tion of yolk is abundant, these scales fit it closely to the 

 fiber, but when the secretion of yolk is stopped from any 

 injurious cause, the scales stand out from the fiber very 

 similar to warped shingles on a roof. The result of this 

 is that the fibers lock and when you feel the fleece that 

 has fibers of this nature they seem to grate each other 

 very similarly to file shavings. The wool is harsh and 

 dry and when pressed it gives that grating feeling which 



