116 JUDGING SHEEP 



of value to secure a heavy fleece, but from a breeder's 

 point of view its chief importance lies in the fact that it 

 is more protection to the sheep than a fleece that is open. 

 Not only is a sheep with a loose open fleece more liable 

 to contract a cold from exposure to rain or wind, but it is 

 also more apt to yield a dirty fleece, as the loose fleece 

 catches the dirt and dust and pieces of hay and straw. 

 From the shepherd's point of view the denseness of the 

 fleece is its leading feature, for it will be found that those 

 animals with dense close fleeces are less subject to such 

 diseases as catarrh, running at the nose or scouring. 

 When a sheep experiences a chill, it at once affects the 

 circulation and sends the blood to the internal organs, and 

 inflammation or scouring results. This is why sheep that 

 have open fleeces are more subject to such diseases than 

 those that have dense fleeces. Wool is one of the best 

 non-conductors of heat that we have and when it is on a 

 sheep in the form of a dense fleece, it gives them the 

 greatest possible protection from exposure. Furthermore, 

 if the fleece is not dense, it is almost impossible for the 

 fiber to be sound, that is, free from weak spots. When 

 a sheep has been badly chilled or has become sick in any 

 way so as to cause the pores of the skin to contract, a 

 break or shrinkage occurs in the fiber at that point. The 

 wool on a sheep grows from a small sac in the skin and 

 it passes away from the skin through a small opening 

 which may be easily contracted or expanded, according 

 to different influences. The influences are various, and 

 for that reason it is important that the sheep be covered 

 with a fleece that is so dense as not to be affer.tecl much 

 by external conditions. 



167. Length of Staple. The length of the staple is 

 an important feature, both from a commercial point of 

 view and from the shepherd's standpoint. Wools are gen- 



