16 BULLETIN 206, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



creek." Such fleeces shrink more than those properly washed and 

 could not be fairly placed in an offering of washed wool, as their loss 

 in scouring would be much greater. Fleeces may be unmerchantable 

 for other reasons. These terms do not always mean that the washing 

 operation has actually taken place, the practice of washing being on 

 the decline, but sometimes refer solely to shrinkage. The washed 

 wools are lighter in color and condition, shrinking 3 or 4 per cent 

 less than the unmerchantable, and the latter shrinks about the same 

 amount less than the unwashed. 



Michigan and New York. — Michigan and New York have the 

 same classification and the wools are quite similar, some of them 

 being fully as good as Ohio and Pennsylvania wools. As a whole, 

 however, they are not quite up to this standard. The wools from 

 the above States are quite frequently spoken of as the "fleece," 

 "domestic," "native," or "farm" wools. 



Kentucky and similar. — Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, and Wiscon- 

 sin wools are not so fine in character. They rarely grade higher 

 than half or three-eighths blood, as most of the sheep are of the 

 mutton type. The pasture is much the same as in the "fleece" 

 wool States. The term "bright" is sometimes applied to the wools 

 of these States. 



Parts of Tennessee and Virginia are given over to the spring-lamb 

 industry and they produce some wools of a medium quality. Much 

 of it is consumed by local knitting mills. This is some of the lightest 

 shrinking wool in America, some of it not going higher than 35 per 

 cent. Georgia and some of the other Southern States produce some 

 rather coarse, hght-shrinking wools. 



SCOURED BASIS. 



Texas. — Wool from Texas and the "territories" is usually quoted 

 on a scoured basis. The reason for this is that there is such a wide 

 variation in shrinkage in different localities and also from season to 

 season that the clean basis is more satisfactory. In Texas shearing 

 twice a year is often practiced. These short wools are probably 

 the best American felting wools. They are also highly regarded in 

 certain branches of woolen manufacture. The 12-months clip of 

 Texas is probably as near the Ohio type of wool as any western wool. 

 The Merino blood is still strongly dominant here. These wools 

 sometimes shrink as low as 56 to 58 per cent. The average for the 

 entire State, however, has been estimated at 66 per cent. The spring 

 and fall Texas wools come to market untied. 



California. — The California wools are quoted as northern, middle, 

 and southern counties. The northern counties wool usually repre- 

 sents a year's growth, and is the most valuable. In the middle and 

 southern counties the wool shrinks more, and shearing is often prac- 



