64 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



Of course, the amount of yolk required varies with 

 the class of wool. (See page 48.) 



How wools are classified Wools are classified: (i) 

 On the basis of length, (2) on the basis of diameter in the 

 fiber, and (3) on the basis of adaptation to use. A clearly 

 definite and accurate classification in either respect is 

 scarcely possible, owing to the difference found in wool of 

 the same breed, to the constant changes that result from 

 crossing and grading, and to the modifications which re- 

 sult from time to time from the introduction of improved 

 machinery in the manufacture of the wool. Short wools 

 are sometimes classified as carding and long wools as 

 combing, but because of the changes referred to, the dis- 

 tinctions between carding and combing wools have been 

 much modified during recent decades. 



Based on the standard of length, wool from the dif- 

 ferent pure breeds found in America may be classed as 

 short, intermediate and long, but in the process of manu- 

 facture, they are usually known as short and long. The 

 American Merino and the Southdown breeds produce 

 short wool. The Leicester, Cotswold and Lincoln breeds 

 produce long wool. The other breeds produce wool that, 

 strictly speaking, is of intermediate length, but which 

 usually comes under the classification of combing wool. 

 The length of the wool of this class differs considerably. 

 The Oxford Down breed produces the longest wool in the 

 intermediate class. The wool produced by some of the 

 breeds is so nearly alike in length that it is scarcely pos- 

 sible to decide as to which is the longer. 



On the basis of diameter in the fiber, wool is classi- 

 fied as superfine, fine, medium and coarse. Superfine 

 wools are those of the very finest character, as, for in- 

 stance, the best of the Saxony and Merino grades. Fine 

 wools are chiefly furnished by the Merino in its various 

 branches, as the American Merino, the Delaine and the 

 Rambouillet, and also by high grades of these breeds. 

 Medium wools usually include those obtained from the 



