70 FIELD AND FERN. 



W/lio come to look over them two days before the 

 sale, and the men refill the hags, which are hung 

 from the roofs during the process. The red clay of 

 the East Lothian, like that of Gala water, slightly 

 colours its wool, and one clip retained an oil-dip so 

 much that it might as well have been smeared. Mr. 

 Girdwood stands on his "Meiossoon dip," and several 

 tin jars and casks of it, hermetically sealed and 

 marked with the Highland ram^s head, occupy the 

 floor of the East Room. Butterate and White Smear 

 are his other preparations ; the latter is intended to 

 supersede tar and butter, but Time, ^''who knows 

 nor friend nor foe," will be the judge. 



The public sales were announced in April, 1853, 

 and the first was held on July 14th of that year. 

 There were 3.20 bales, principally half-bred wools ; 

 and by the end of the first decade we find 7,000 

 bales or 1,364 lots in the catalogue of the corres- 

 ponding sale. The first supply was principally from 

 the Lothians and Fife, with part from Perth and 

 Argyllshire; a,nd the Highland and Highland-district 

 wools came later in the season. There was a 

 large assembly that day, and the absence of the 

 Halifax men was made up by a strong body of the 

 Bradford for the half-bred and other combing^ wools, 

 of which Mr. Baines especially was a large buyer. 

 Charles Fox from Dewsbury was also there for 

 clothing wools ; the Wilsons of Hawick, and Paton 



* Combing' wools = breds, lialf-breds, blackface, and hi.crMy-fed Cheviot 

 hoggs ; Clothing wools = hill-fed Cheviots, crosses, and Southdowns. 



