GRADES OF WOOL 321 



grades will not spin up to their number, while the finer ones will 

 spin much higher than their designated numbers. Some fine Ameri- 

 can wools have been spun to 200 counts for exhibition purposes. 

 Short wool will not spin as high as similar wools of greater length, 

 hence this factor also influences the counts to which the woo] 

 will spin. 



" Another fact worthy of mention is that the wools are rarely 

 spun to their limit; that is, to as fine a yarn as is possible to spin. 

 Wool can be spun several counts higher in England than it can 

 in America. This is due to the fact that the air is moister there 

 and that the labor of the mills is more capable than in the United 

 States. This does not imply that American fabrics are inferior 

 to imported, as a better cloth results if the wool is not so 

 highly spun." 



The following interesting tabulation on the grades of wool 

 from the different breeds of sheep is taken from United States 

 Department of Agriculture Bulletin 206. It is made clear in the 

 bulletin, however, that it is imposible to grade wool solely on the 

 basis of the breeding of the sheep, and that in the mutton breeds 

 particularly there are wide variations within a breed and even 

 within flocks. 



Breed Grade of wool produced 



Merino (eastern states) . . . Delaine, XX, X, or fine unwashed, etc. 



Merino (range states) Fine and fine medium staple or clothing. 



Rambouillet Fine and fine medium staple or clothing and a 



small amount of half-blood. 



Southdown Half and three-eighths blood ( chiefly three- 

 eighths combing or clothing, chiefly clothing). 



Shropshire Mainly three-eighths-blood, combing or clothing. 



Some quarter-blood. 



Hampshire Three-eighths and quarter-blood combing or 



clothing. 



Dorset Three-eighths and quarter-blood combing or 



clothing. 



Suffolk Three-eighths-blood combing and clothing. 



Cheviot Quarter-blood combing. 



Oxford Quarter and low quarter-blood combing. 



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