EXAMINING THE FLEECE 199 



crimp is open. The waves or kinks should be of uniform 

 size throughout the entire length of the fiber. 



The condition of wool depends upon luster, brightness, 

 purity, and character of the yolk, and is influenced by the 

 care and management of the flock as well as by the breeding. 



In examining for purity look for dead hairs, commonly 

 called kemp. These can easily be detected, because they 

 are straight with no crimp. They are usually found upon 

 poorly kept sheep, and are partly due to exposure. The 

 manufacturer does not want kemp, because it will not take 

 the dye well. 



The terms luster and brightness are often confused. 

 Luster refers to the pecuUar sheen found upon all wool and 

 is as common upon the darker-colored wools as upon the 

 lighter ones. Lustrous wool takes the dye somewhat better 

 than wool that possesses little luster. Brightness, on the 

 other hand, refers entirely to the color of the wool. White, 

 clean fleeces are spoken of as bright, while dark-colored, 

 dirty fleeces are said to be dark. Cleanliness, then, improves 

 the brightness of the wool. Dirty fleeces are found in 

 places where sand storms fill the fleeces with wind-blown 

 sand. Sheep that are forced to live around straw stacks, 

 or are kept in muddy lots with steers or other cattle, where 

 they are forced to he down in filthy places, get dirty and 

 their fleeces lack brightness. 



The yolk is the oil in the fleece. It is of no particular im- 

 portance to the manufacturers of woolen goods, since it 

 is aU washed out before the wool is used, but to the breeder 

 presence of yolk indicates that the animal is in good physi- 

 cal condition. Feeding has a great influence upon the 

 amount of yolk that the sheep secretes ; the better the feed- 

 ing the greater is the quantity of yolk. 



