NATURE OF WOOL. 283 



possessed by wools oi' this class, known as felting, or adher- 

 ing- together in a mass, by the interlacing of the libers when 

 passed through a special process. It also goes to illus- 

 trate the facility with which wool on the sheep's back may 

 undergo this adherent process when it is damp, and by rea- 

 son of its elasticity, and the pressure due to the sheep hud- 

 dling together, and chafing the wool as well as by the in- 

 fluence of the dissolved yolk all these being accessory the 

 fleece felts, or as we say v becomes cotted. This of course is 

 a serious damage; for in the carding of such wool it is torn 

 into shreds; even into dust when it is in bad condition; and 

 is worthless for any but the lowest qualities of goods. 



But yet this peculiar character and structure of wool 

 is of the utmost importance in its manufacture. For when 

 it is carded and torn into innumerable short lengths, these in- 

 tertwine, and when the wool is spun it becomes aggregated 

 into a thread of great strength and elasticity. It is to this 

 natural peculiarity of fine wool, in excess of other kinds, 

 that it is more highly valued for the finer class of goods 

 which are known as broad cloths. 



Moreover it is to this peculiar nature of wool that it may 

 be spun into such fine threads, that one pound of the fin- 

 est reaches a length of very nearly one hundred miles. This 

 all goes to show the necessity for every wool grower to 

 study the final uses of his products that he may secure the 

 greatest profit in the higher prices he may obtain for the 

 finest of them. It is also of interest to know precisely what 

 the fulling process is that is applied to the finishing of the 

 fine cloths made from the best qualities of Merino fleeces. 



This process consists of oiling the wool, and then spinning 

 and weaving it into the cloth. The cloth is then freed from 

 the oil by steeping it in a mixture of a fine sort of alkaline 

 clay, known as fuller's earth. This Is followed by pressing the 

 cloth, which of course brings the fibers into close proximity, 

 and causes them to mat together by their sharp hooked 

 scales, thus forming a firm, dense fabric. Afterwards being 

 torn on the surface by a set of teasels fitted in a frame, a 

 fine velvety nap is raised on the cloth, which retains the 

 glossy texture of the wool. Only the finest of the Merino 

 wools are thus treated. This result of moisture, grease, and 

 pressure, with some considerable warmth, is sometimes ex- 



