Wool Production. 



513 



further, that the better-fed lambs each sheared about on© pound 

 more of wool. On scouring the wool from the different lots, the 

 returns of washed wool were practically equal — the higher feed- 

 ing had produced more yolk but not more wool. 



Gohren states' that the absolute quantity and quality of wool 

 produced is less a function of feeding than of breeding. Com- 

 pare with Chapter XXVI. 



782. Frequency of shearing. — Another question of interest is 

 the effect of removing the wool from sheep several times instead 

 of once each year. An experiment was conducted with Earn 

 bouillet sheep, by Weiske and Dehmel, ^ to study the influence of 

 frequent shearing on the yield of wool. Two animals were shorn 

 every other month for a year, and two at the beginning and at 

 the end of the experiment. The sheep received the same feed 

 and treatment throughout the year. The average yield of wool 

 was as follows: 



Growth of wool. 



Siac times shorn. 

 November and December. 



January and February 



March and ApriL 



May and June 



July and August. 



September and October.... 



Total 



Onoe shorn. 



The sheep shorn six times produced somewhat less unwashed 

 wool but about 22 per cent, more pure wool fiber than those shorn 

 once. The wool from the once-shorn sheep contained more yolk 

 than the other. 



» Fiitterungslehre, 1872, p. 511. 

 » Jour, t Landw., 1882. 

 33 



