292 Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



Classification of wools. — Wools may be classified according to 

 their origin and also according to their value and adaptability for differ- 

 ent uses. The classifications in common use in this country are as 

 follows: 



Clipped wools and pulled wools. — The first distinction made in 

 wools is to divide them into fleece or clipped wools and pulled wools. 

 The former are the ordinary clipped wools coming to market in separate 

 fleeces. These are the more valuable and constitute by far the greater 

 portion of the wool of commerce. Pulled wools are those derived from 

 the pelts of slaughtered sheep in the manner described later on. They 

 are marketed in 500-pound bales. Pulled wools constitute about one- 

 seventh of all the wool produced in the United States. 



Domestic, territory, and carpet wools. — Domestic wools are wools 

 coming from the small farm flocks east of the Missouri river. For the 

 most part, the sheep are of mutton type and breeding. As compared 

 to territory wools, these wools are usually clean and bright, due to the 

 better protection and care given the sheep. Territory wools are those 

 produced west of the Missouri river, and they derive their name from 

 the fact that this section was formerly made up of Territories in distinc- 

 tion to the States of the central and eastern sections. Territory wools 

 are produced by the large flocks of range sheep which contain much 

 fine-wool breeding, though the use of medium- and long-wool mutton 

 rams is increasing. They shrink from 63 to 70 per cent on the average 

 when scoured, and sometimes over 80 per cent, due to the presence in 

 fleeces of sand, dirt, and considerable yolk. Carpet wools are inferior 

 and low-priced wools containing much kemp or dead fibers, and are 

 used in the manufacture of carpets and coarse blankets. Very little 

 carpet wool is produced in this country. 



Domestic wools may be subdivided into two groups or sub-classes, 

 known as "bright" and "semi-bright," depending on the whiteness and 

 luster of the fiber. Bright wool is produced by Ohio, Pennsylvania, 

 New York, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, 

 Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Semi-bright wool comes from the Dakotas, 

 western Kansas, and Nebraska. They are midway between the bright 

 and the territory in condition, having more sand and dirt than the 

 bright but not as much as the territory. The best bright wools are 

 those known as "Ohio" wools, produced not only in Ohio but also in 

 Pennsylvania and West Virginia. More than half of the flocks of this 

 region are of Merino breeding. Ohio wool is famous for strength, 

 cleanliness, and general quality, and commands a premium on the 

 market. 



The states which produce territory wool are Montana, Wyoming, 

 Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and Washington, These are mainly 



