Proceedixgs of the Farmers' Club. 521 



on the delicate adjustment and balance of power between them that 

 all healthy and useful action depends: the disposition to give way or ' 

 submit to some alteration of form when pressed upon, and an energy 

 by means of which the original form is resumed as soon as the external 

 force is removed." These two principles are beautifully exemplified 

 in the fibers of wool, obviously much dependent on the numerous 

 and minute spiral curves so manifest in the Saxon and Merino. 

 Take, for instance, a single filter of wool of these varieties of sheep; 

 if it be stretched to its full length and then suddenly set free at one 

 extremity it will resume its ringlet form ; and hence upon the union 

 of pliability with the elastic principle depends the usefulness and 

 consequently value of clothing wool. 



The play of these powers is differently adjusted in wools. In the 

 Saxon, celebrated for our finest fabrics, the action of these opposing 

 principles is beautifully balanced. Hence it is so easily shorn of its 

 superfluous nap, the facility with which it yields to pressure, and 

 covers the threads of cloth with a dense, soft pile. Notwithstanding 

 the injury the elastic power may receive by the process of manufac- 

 ture, yet by the aid of a microscope the nap presents innumerable 

 minute curves closely hugging the texture ; and to this much of the 

 beauty of our finest cloth is owing. To these opposing powers of 

 the fiber the felting principle is not a little indebted, as will be 

 explained hereafter. 



Spiral Curve. 



The spiral curve or ringlet form of wool has been referred to. 

 This is one of the distinguishing qualities between wool and hair, the 

 latter being comparatively straight. It is remarkable in all short- 

 wooled sheep, but in no other varieties is it so conspicuous as the 

 Saxon and Merino. It is observable in the Southdown and other 

 English varieties, but in a far less degree ; and with some species of 

 the goat, under the hair of which is found a perfect wool, having the 

 true felting property and fiber curved. 



There is an intimate connection with the fineness of the wool and 

 the number of the curves, or, otherwise, in proportion to the number 

 of the curves in a given span is the diameter of the fiber. It should 

 be stated, however, that this is more generally true of pure Saxon 

 and Merino. It can be easily demonstrated, if the experiment is fairly 

 made, with the micrometer, care being taken not to destroy the curves 

 by extension, but the fiber placed in the instrument as it naturally 

 grows upon the sheep. From M. Lafour's work on German manage- 

 ment of sheep the following is extracted bearing on this point : 



