Wool and its Growth. 83 



grower's point of view is to grow the wool of the par- 

 ticular breed he is concerned with as well as may be. 

 Certain land and conditions may be suited for the breed- 

 ing of a fine woolled or a medium or a coarse woolled 

 sheep, and the farmer's aim is to grow the wool of which- 

 ever breed he selects as satisfactory as he can. Wool 

 from badly-bred sheep will not spin well ; the poor hairs 

 will not take the dye, and the manufactured cloth does 

 not give satisfactory wear. 



Each fibre or hair of wool is like a plant rooted to 

 the skin, drawing its sustenance from the body of the 

 animal, which fills the same purpose as does soil to an 

 agricultural plant. Nourishment is manifestly neces- 

 sary for the sheep if the wool is to receive its proper 

 supply of fibre-growing food to maintain its strength, 

 quality, and value for manufacturing purposes. Sheep, 

 unless they are being fattened, want just food enough, 

 resembling in this respect a successful crop, which re- 

 quires neither too much nor too little manures or foods 

 of the proper kinds. In purely pastoral grazing good 

 and bad seasons follow one another often, and it requires 

 skill to make the best of the pastures, but where fodders 

 and roots are grown there is better chance of seeing that 

 the fleece, along with the mutton, does not suffer from 

 uneven growth. 



Yolk is an important feature of wool. It is an oily, 

 soapy, or lubricating substance, furnished, in quantity 

 according to the good or bad treatment extended to the 

 sheep, to the skin glands, and as it accumulates and 

 exudes from the skin it incorporates itself with the wool 

 fibres. Were it not for yolk the wool fibres would mat, 

 would lose their pliancy and softness, would wear by 

 friction, and become brittle. Without it wool would re- 

 semble more a poor, thin hair. Yolk also gives lustre to 

 the wool, and its oiliness protects the sheep from in- 

 jurious entry of rain to its body, and also protects the 

 wool from the entry of foreign matter. Lack of feed is 



