WOOL. 



207 



ness of fleece is of less importance in the long combing, than in the 

 clothing, wool, provided it be free from grey hairs. Sometimes, how- 

 ever, the fleece has a dingy brown colour, called a 'Winter stain,' which 

 is a sure indication that the wool is not in a thoroughly sound state. 

 Such fleeces are carefully thrown out by the wool sorter, being suitable 

 only for goods that are to be dyed black. The fineness of heavy combing 

 wool is not of so much consequence as its other qualities " (M'Culloeh's 

 Dictionary of Commerce). 



Scouring Wool. The foreign substances that are found in wooJ 

 are generally incorporated with the yolk or suint, which is a compound of 



Fig. 133. Oily spun wool. 



potash and animal fat. Scouring is intended to remove the dirt, the 

 burs, to some extent, and most of the extraneous matter that is met 

 with in the raw wools. The removal of these impurities in the scouring 

 ought to be done without damaging the surface or the physical structure 

 of the wool fibre in any way whatever ; and, after cleaning, the staple 

 should behave in the spinning and the weaving process with a suppleness 

 elasticity, and velutinous gloss that should be capable of improvement 

 when acted on by the dyes used to bring out the attractive or sombre 

 colours of woven woollen fabrics. 



The temperature of the bath used in the washing of wool ought 

 rfot to exceed 100 F. Neutral soaps and potash are preferable to soda. 

 The fibres that are highly lustrous, such as alpaca and mohair, are 



