BULLETIN OF THE 



MPIHNIOFAfflOJIl 



No. 206 



Contribution from the Bureau of Animal Industry, A. D. Melvin, Chief. a 

 May 25, 1915. 



THE WOOLGROWER AND THE WOOL TRADE. 



By F. B,. Marshall and L. L. Heller, 

 Of the Animal Husbandry Division. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 1 



Present methods of disposing of wool by the 



growers 2 



Factors that determine the value of wool 3 



Wool grading 11 



Market grades 14 



Sorting wool 21 



Pounds of wool per pound of cloth 24 



The need of improvement in handling Ameri- 

 can wools 24 



How American methods of handling wool 



may be improved 27 



Fundamental rules for the wool grower 29 



Glossary of terms used in the wool trade 31 



INTRODUCTION. 



The United States ranks as one of the principal wool-producing 

 countries of the world. The amount of wool imported by Ameri- 

 can manufacturers is equal to more than one-half of the home-grown 

 clip. American and foreign wools are often offered for sale at the 

 same time in the warehouses of Boston and other wool-marketing cen- 

 ters. Some American wools are equally as valuable as the best foreign 

 wools of the same class. On the whole, however, the appearance 

 of American wools compares quite unfavorably with that of most 

 of the foreign wools. The difference is due nearly altogether to 

 the growers' methods of preparing the wool for shipment. Foreign 

 woolgrowers, and Australians in particular, maintain a uniformly 

 high standard in the handling of their wools. This care in preparation 

 and the certainty as to the character of the contents of the bales has 

 given their wools a high reputation that insures their bringing full 

 value at the time of selling to the manufacturer. 



Persons familiar with the buying and manufacturing of home- 

 grown and foreign wools assert that on account of poor preparation 



Note.— This bulletin discusses the preparation of wools for market and explains the effect upon the 

 value of wool of the factors under the control of the grower. It is of interest to all sheep owners. 

 83237°— Bull. 206—15 1 



