24 BULLETIN 313, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



After skirting, each man turns his side of the fleece in toward the 

 center and one turns back the neck end while the other turns the 

 other end in toward the neck end. The fleece is then rolled up from 

 the breech forward, making it into a neat bundle, which is then car- 

 ried to the classer's table. 



PIECE PICKING. 



Before discussing the work at the classer's table, it will be best to 

 follow the skirtings further. The wool dropped to the floor by the 

 skirters is carried to the table of the piece picker. Ordinarily the 

 piece picker makes three lots from what comes to his table — stained 

 wool; first pieces, which consist of the lightest and cleanest pieces; 

 and the inferior or second pieces. These three kinds of pieces are 

 taken to corresponding bins convenient to the baler. If heavy dung 

 locks are present they are thrown into a pile at one side until the 

 wool can be clipped off during odd times or on wet days. In some 

 cases, when it is necessary .to remove considerable burry wool from 

 the neck, this goes to the bin for broken fleeces and may also first 

 have some pieces removed from it. The floor sweepings go over the 

 piece picker's table. The bellies commonly go direct to their bin in 

 the baling room, though preferably the discolored wool is taken out 

 as stained pieces, particularly in handling wethers' wool. The second 

 cuts, sweat locks, etc., that fall through the wool tables are baled as 

 locks. The number of bales of bellies, pieces, and locks resulting from 

 this work averages around one-third of the total number in the clip. 

 It is claimed in some cases that the extra value received for pieces by 

 having them assorted is sufficient to pay for the labor of the wool room. 



WOOL CLASSING. 



Most interesting, though perhaps not always most important, of all, 

 is the work of the classer or grader, as he would be known in a 

 United States warehouse. His table is located convenient to the bins 

 from which the balers take the wool, and faces in such a way as to 

 give him a view of the work at the tables. He directs and is responsi- 

 ble for the work of the skirters and rollers, piece pickers, and balers. 

 He receives the rolled fleeces at his own table and must assign each to 

 its proper class. The number of classers and their designation de- 

 pend upon the size and character of the clip. It is regarded as 

 always desirable that the best lot should be the largest and that as 

 few classes as possible should be made. At the same time a fleece that 

 is tender or otherwise inferior is never placed with better fleeces to 

 avoid making another class, as its presence would destroy the buyer's 

 confidence in the classing of the whole clip. 



This point is presented by a large wool-selling commission house in 

 the following suggestions: 



