Wool and its Growth. 85 



parallel, and stretching out the fibres and then spinning. 

 The serrations in the wool do not count as of use for 

 this purpose. Whichever purpose the wool is put to the 

 sheep should be well bred and fed so as to ensure such 

 qualities as strength, evenness, crimp, elasticity. Pro- 

 per selection and breeding and proper feeding accom- 

 plish all this. Wool buyers are highly skilled in the 

 technical requirements of the trade, and every attention 

 devoted to a flock readily and competitively receives its 

 reward at their hands. 



After the Merino for density of wool comes the Downs, 

 and the long-wools are the least dense. The Lincoln has 

 the coarsest and longest wool among the breeds known 

 in Australasia. Its greath length is what gives it its 

 heavy weight of fleece. Warm climates in their ultimate 

 effect tend to decrease the density of a sheep's fleece, 

 making the fibre coarser. The change is slow in accli- 

 matised sheep, and appears nmrked only after a few 

 generations of the breed have passed. It is a naturally 

 expected law, for density of covering towards animal 

 warmth may be looked for in cold, and thinness of cover- 

 ing in warm climates ; although it will be understood 

 that a breed of sheep noted for its wool qualities for 

 maybe hundreds of years will take a long time to radic- 

 ally change its coat in a changed climate, particularly if 

 the change is not a marked one. Selection of stock in- 

 fluences density of fleece, feeding not much, although 

 feeding influences soundness, pliancy, and softness, and 

 evenness somewhat. Dense wool is more elastic ; there is 

 more rebound to the touch by reason of finer fibres of a 

 greater confined waviness or crimp and serrations. All 

 these qiialities tend towards elasticity as against the 

 limpidness of coa.rser and more hair-like wool. Density 

 obviously makes for protection of the animal, hence the 

 power of withstanding storms that the Merino has over 

 the longwool, and over the Southdown and Shropshire 

 to a lesser extent. 



