CHAPTEE XXXV 

 THE WOOL CROP 



Importance of Wool. — A statement often made in favor of 

 keeping sheep is that they yield two products, mutton and wool; 

 but, in many cases, the wool crop is taken as a matter of course and 

 its value is not fully appreciated. In flocks where the production 

 of lambs for market is the chief object, the income from the wool 

 is about thirty per cent of the total income from the flock. This 

 estimate is based on the assumption that the average weight of 

 fleece is eight pounds and that there will be one lamb marketed for 

 each sheep shorn. If receipts were carefully itemized for a series 

 of years, they would very likely show that the wool constitutes 

 more than thirty per cent of the total income from the flock, for 

 the breeding ewe produces one fleece before she raises a lamb. 

 Further, she always produces a fleece, but she does not always 

 raise a lamb. 



By giving careful attention to the wool product, the income 

 from the flock can be materially increased. Ewes should be selected 

 for their wool characteristics as well as for their mutton character- 

 istics ; there should be an ambition to market not only prime lambs, 

 but first-class wool as well. 



The Requisites of Wool. — Good wool is true in structure, 

 uniform in fineness, strong, not excessive in yolk, and comparatively 

 clean. 



Trueness of Structure.^' — A fleece is not true in structure if it 

 contains " off-colored " fibers and kemps. Kemps are abnormal 

 fibers composed of horny material, which are objectionable because 

 they are brittle and do not take dyes well. They indicate inferior 

 breeding. Wools containing them in quantity are worth several 

 cents per pound less than they would Otherwise be. Black fibers 

 or " oif -colored " fibers mixed in with white wool reduce the value 

 because the wool cannot be used in making white cloth. Yellow- 

 ish, buff-tinged, and' dingy wools are often less desirable than white 

 because they do not always scour out pure white (Fig. 197). 



' For structure of wool fibre see Chapter V. 

 314 



