18 



BULLETIN 206, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



and the grass is not as thick as in the central and eastern part of the 

 country. The wind blows with considerable force, creating sand 

 storms in some sections, and much sand and dirt are deposited upon 

 the sheep. These conditions give rise to a heavy-shrinking wool, as 

 would naturally be expected. The wools containing sand usually 

 shrink more than those containing mountain dirt. Occasional fleeces 

 from this district shrink more than 80 per cent, and the average for 

 the different States ranges from 63 to 70 per cent. There is often 

 considerable variation in shrinkage from year to year in the wools 

 from any particular locality. When there has been snow on the 

 ground during the winter, the clips are often 5 per cent lighter than 

 when the range is bare. The selling of territory wools upon the mar- 

 ket is consequently upon a clean or scoured basis. 



Classification and grades of territory wools. 



usually one grade. 



Fine staple 

 Fine medium staple. 

 Half-blood staple. 

 Three-eighths-blood staple, 

 Quarter-blood staple. 

 Lowquarter-blood staple. 

 Coarse, common, low, or [often one grade, 

 braid. 



CLOTHING. 



Fine clothing. 



Fine medium clothing .finally one grade. 



Half-blood clothing. 

 Three-eighths-blood clothing. 

 Quarter-blood clothing, or short quarter- 

 blood. 



Practically all three-eighths-blood and quarter-blood wools are of 

 combing length. 



The term "staple" as applied to a territory wool refers to a comb- 

 ing wool. "Ordinary" is sometimes used to designate clothing wool 

 in this section instead of referring to quality. The terms of fine, fine 

 medium, medium, and low medium have arisen and are used in a 

 general way in referring to territory wools. They are often used in 

 referring to original lots and are largely equivalent to the following : 



Fine =XX and X qualities, or fine staple and fine clothing. 



Fine medium=X, half-blood and three-eighths-blood. 

 Medium «= Three-eighths-blood and quarter-blood. 



Low medium=Low quarter-blood and braid. 



It is rather difficult to attempt to characterize the wools from each 

 State, as they grade almost imperceptibly into one another. Often 

 differences appear in the wools that can be recognized, but are diffi- 

 cult to describe. 



Montana. — Montana wools as a whole are probably the best of the 

 territory clips. They are light-shrinking compared to the wools of 

 the neighboring States, of good length, and attractive in appearance. 

 They have a slightly creamy tinge which shows up even after scour- 

 ing. Their felting qualities are good. It is sometimes claimed that 



