Essay on Sheep. 155 



liay-seeds on the wool, and to open it perfectly 

 before it is carded, that the finest thread may 

 be made of unwashed wool: nor do I think 

 that the yarn should be washed before it is 

 wove; the grease adds to the strength, and 

 renders it unnecessary to size the warp, as is 

 usually done; more allowance should, how- 

 ever, be made for shrinking. This must not 

 be considered as an ascertained fact, since I am 

 now only in the course of trial. 



As I do not write for professed manufacturers, 

 but for farmers, many of whom have never 

 given much attention to the best mode of fa- 

 bricating cloths, I will venture to mention what, 

 though well known to the first, the last may 

 not yet be acquainted with. Common wool 

 can hardly be too much carded. Merino may; 

 the first gains by being broke to a certain de- 

 gree, the last is injured. In spinning, the warp 

 and the woof must be spun in contrary direc- 

 tions, because, as both open a little, and the ob- 

 ject of fulling is to unite the ends of the wool, 

 so as to raise the knap, if they untwisted the 

 same way, they would unite less than if they 

 met each other. This operation is effected by 

 spinning the one with an open band, that is, a 

 band that turns the spindle in the same direc- 

 tion with the wheel, the other with a cross band. 



