220 Sheep-Farming 



the shepherd's point of view, the denseness of the 

 fleece is its leading feature, for it will be found that 

 those animals with dense, close fleeces are less subject 

 to such diseases as catarrh, running at the nose, or 

 scouring. When a sheep experiences a chill, it at 

 once affects the circulation and sends the blood to 

 the internal organs, and inflammation or scouring 

 results. This is why sheep that have open fleeces 

 are more subject to such diseases than those that 

 have dense fleeces. Wool is one of the best non- 

 conductors of heat that we have, and when it is on a 

 sheep in the form of a dense fleece, it gives them the 

 greatest possible protection from exposure. Further- 

 more, if the fleece is not dense, it is almost impos- 

 sible for the fiber to be sound, — that is, free from 

 weak spots. When a sheep has been badly chilled 

 or has become sick in any way, so as to cause the 

 pores of the skin to contract, a break or shrinkage 

 occurs in the fiber at that point. The wool on a 

 sheep grows from a small sac in the skin, and it passes 

 away from the skin through a small opening that 

 may be easily contracted or expanded, according to 

 different influences. The influences are various, 

 and for that reason it is important that the sheep 

 be covered with a fleece that is so dense as not to 

 be affected much by external conditions. 



Length of staple. — The length of the staple is an 

 important feature, both from a commercial point of 

 view and from the shepherd's standpoint. Wools 



