THE WOOLGROWER AND THE WOOL TRADE. 27 



years previous. He knows of the weather conditions, whether or not 

 the winter has been an open one, and he estimates the shrinkage 

 accordingly. He knows whether or not there has been a blizzard and 

 if the wool is likely to be tender. He knows something of the breed- 

 ing of the sheep and how the owner runs them, for these are all 

 matters of knowledge throughout the country. In fact, he has many 

 sources of information that act as a general guide to values. Yet the 

 grower very often receives little or no benefit for extra pains taken in 

 growing and preparing the wool, and he has just grounds for com- 

 plaint. In this connection he must appreciate the fact that com- 

 paratively few clips are large enough to yield the amount of wool of 

 any one grade that is called for at one time by a manufacturing con- 

 cern. This being the case, the "fine staple" or the "half blood" of 

 one clip has to be thrown with that of one or more other clips to form 

 a commercial parcel. Unless the buyer of the individual clips is pos- 

 itive that each one has been put up in the same good way he can not 

 insist upon receiving a greater price from the millmen, because they 

 will not relax their safeguards while there is danger of even a very 

 small amount of damage from paint, poor twine, or any one of the 

 vexatious causes that experience has shown are to be looked for. 



HOW AMERICAN METHODS OF HANDLING WOOL MAY BE IMPROVED. 



If some plan can be worked out whereby American wools can be 

 prepared for market in a manner similar to foreign wools, while they 

 are still the property of the growers, it should be to the advantage 

 of all concerned. 



GRADING ON THE RANGE. 



It has been claimed that on account of the American growers' 

 comparative nearness to market he should make no attempt to grade 

 his clip. How sound this claim is depends upon how cheaply and 

 how well the work can be done on the range. There is no question 

 that the wool is in better condition for grading immediately after 

 shearing than at any later time. Grading without baling has been 

 practiced in several instances in the west, but the only resulting 

 advantage has been to enable the owner to determine more nearly 

 the value of his clip. 



BALING ON THE RANGE. 



The statement has been made that baling western wools would 

 militate against higher prices because of resulting poorer appearance. 

 Some southern Wyoming wools have been baled ungraded for a 

 number of years, and a dealer who handles a considerable portion of 

 these says they have not been damaged. Possibly if this wool was 

 baled to the density of foreign wool without being graded and the 

 tags removed, injury would result. The reason these wools have been 



