122 , JUDGING SHEEP 



clean and bright. Wool of this kind comes from fleeces 

 that are grown under what might l^e termed domesticated 

 conditions, that is, — sheep are given shelter, fed well and 

 otherwise have good management. This results in a 

 clean, bright wool which the market classifies as domes- 

 tic wool. 



177. Territopy Wool. In contrast to this is the ter- 

 ritory wool. This wool is called territory wool simply 

 because it is dirty or it is discolored. It is wool that 

 comes from sheep managed and cared for in a w^ay very 

 similar to that which is common in the territories. The 

 sheep have run out the year round ; the fleece has be- 

 come full of sand, straw, chaff and similar substances, 

 and this has filled the fleece with foreign material. 



178. Blanket Wool. In contrast to this is the ter- 

 that go to the market are known as carpet wool and 

 blanket wool. The worst feature connected with this 

 kind of wool is the presence of kemp or the dead fibers 

 previously mentioned. On account of these not freely 

 absorbing the dyes, this wool has to be manufactured 

 into carpets and blankets. When the nature of the fleece 

 of the original sheep is understood so that the improve- 

 ment that has been made through breeding for many 

 years becomes apparent, it can easily be seen that when 

 sheep are neglected the tendency is for their fleece to re- 

 vert to the original condition. In this condition the 

 fleece was made up of an external covering of hairs and 

 beneath it an undergrowth of very finely fibered wool. 

 Domestication by man has completely removed the hair 

 and gives us a fine fleece of wool which exists on well 

 bred sheep today. Neglect on the part of the breeder 

 will surely result in the sheep reverting to the kind of 

 fleece that it at one time possessed. 



