Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 223 



of oil, or grease, called "yolk." The quality of fleece refers in a strict 

 sense only to fineness of fiber, but in a general way may also include 

 softness, soundness, luster, color, cleanness, purity, and freeness. 



The covering of wool has reference to the completeness of covering 

 over all parts of the body. Some animals are very devoid of wool on 

 the belly and around the flanks. The breeds differ widely in the extent 

 to which the poll, ears, face, and legs are covered with wool, such 

 features forming a prominent part of some breed types. The tend- 

 ency in recent years, especially with some breeds, has been to secure 

 a more complete covering of wool, and thus produce a fleece of some- 

 what more weight. In all breeds, the under parts of the body, includ- 

 ing the scrotum of the ram, should be well wooled. 



A dense fleece is one that is compact, or has a large number of 

 fibers growing on a square inch of skin. As much density is desired 

 as is possible to attain. 



The length of fiber varies greatly among the mutton breeds, so 

 that it is diflficult to fix requirements for length of fleece for the mutton 

 type in general. However, a length of less than 3 inches for a year's 

 growth should subject a mutton-type animal to criticism, and if it is 

 less than ^Yi inches the wool sells at a lower price per pound on the 

 wool market, as it is then not adapted to the manufacture of worsted 

 cloth. As a rule, the longest fleeces are the coarsest and most lacking 

 in density; maximums of fineness, length, and density cannot be se- 

 cured in one fleece. The medium-wool breeds vary in length of staple 

 from 2 to 5 inches, while the long-wool breeds vary from 5 to 12 

 inches. 



The yolk is a variable feature and a highly important one. It is 

 an oily substance secreted by glands in the skin, and passes out over 

 the fibers, giving them an oily coating that is valuable because it makes 

 the wool soft, protects and preserves the fibers, and, by causing the 

 fibers to lie even and regular, insures against matting, or "cotting," of 

 the fleece. A plentiful supply of yolk also tends to prevent the en- 

 trance of dust, chaff, and other foreign material into the fleece. Inci- 

 dentally, the yolk adds weight to the wool, although an excessive 

 amount of oil that merely adds weight to the fleece is not desirable. 

 The yolk should be in a fluid condition and should be uniformly dis- 

 tributed throughout the fleece from skin to tip of fiber. It should not 

 be so abundant as to collect in drops in the fieece, nor should any flakes 

 of dried yolk be in evidence. The yolk is frequently referred to as the 

 "grease" or "oil." 



The fineness of fiber, from the earliest days of wool growing, has 

 been esteemed one of the most important requirements of wool. It 

 varies a great deal among the breeds of mutton sheep, and also among 



