76 THE WOOL INDUSTRY. 



fleece, preventing injury to the wool fibres from cotting or felt- 

 ing from the constant friction while upon the sheep's back. 



"Wool resembles hair, in that each filament is a minute tube 

 filled with pulp, covered externally by a scaly covering formed 

 by flat cells, the edges of which over-lapping each other, give the 

 filament a serrated appearance when examined under a 

 high magnifying power, to which also the wool owes its felting 

 properties and its adaptation for clothing purposes. The felting 

 property and other qualities of different wools have long been 

 known by practical experience, but that felting was due to the 

 serrated edges of the individual wool filaments is a comparatively 

 recent discovery which was made in 1795 by a Mr. Monge in 

 France, and later, but independently, by a Mr. Youatt in Eng- 

 land. Different wools were found to possess a greater or a less 

 number of serrations to the inch in length, the felting property 

 depending on the increase or decrease of the serrations. It was 

 found that in Merino wool (Saxony) the serrations ran as high as 

 2,700 to the inch, in the English Southdown 2,050, and in the 

 Leicester 1,850. 



Fine wool, possessing a greater number of serrations and 

 growing in a spiral form, being superior in its felting properties 

 to the coarser goods. 



Wool when it is to be manufactured first undergoes the pro- 

 cess termed carding. The card is an instrument which breaks 

 the wool, dividing it into a multitude of fragments, which from 

 its spiral form are left in a curved state. When pressure and 

 moisture are applied the serrated and curved filaments intertwine 

 and lock together. This is termed felting. After wool is 

 carded it is spun and woven into cloth, being oiled during this 

 process. Following this it is treated with Fuller's earth to ex- 

 tract the oil, the moisture and pressure which are now applied 

 calHng out its felting properties and giving the cloth a close and 

 dense appearance. 



