WOOL. 



horizontal pofition for the microfcope will be the moft con- 

 venient, illuminating the objeft with a lamp and lens. In 

 this way, the apparent diameter may be greatly increafed, 

 »nd we think the obfervations might be made with greater 

 cafe and accuracy. 



By the above method the diameter of very minute hla- 

 ments may be afcertained, and minute differences deteded, 

 which the unaffilted eye is unable to deteft. We are aware, 

 however, that it requires fome addrefs and time to enable 

 the obferver to manage the inftrument, on which account it 

 cannot, we fear, be made generally ufeful. 



The following admeafurements of different fine wools 

 were taken with Dr. Parry's inftrument ; the firft column 

 reprefents the outward end of the filament, the fecond 

 the middle, and the third the bottom, in fraftional parts of 

 an inch ; the latter column the mean of ten filaments of 

 the fame wool. 



Table of comparative Diameters of the Filaments of 

 various Clothing Wools, by Dr. Parry. 



Long Wool, or Combing Wool, being prepared for fpinning 

 by a procefs entirely different from that of (hort or clothing 

 wool, and the pieces made from it being finifhed in a very 

 different manner, the qualities mofl required in this kind of 

 wool are length and foundnefs of the flaple, without which 

 the fleece is unfuited for the comb. The finenefs of the 

 hair is a fecondary quality, required only in certain kinds of 

 goods. The wool-comb is an inftrument of fimple con- 

 ftruftion, confifting of a wooden handle, with a tranfverfe 

 piece or head, in which are inferted three rows of long fteel 

 teeth. The wool, which is to be combed after being clean 

 fcoured, dried, and oiled, is firft drawn upon thefe teeth 

 with the hand, until the comb is fufiiciently loaded. It is 

 then placed on the knee of the comber, and another comb of 

 a fimilar kind is drawn through it, and the operation is re- 

 peated till all the bars or fibres are combed fmooth in one 

 diredion. This operation requires confiderable ftrength, 

 but the comb being previoufly heated, and the wool tho- 

 roughly oiled, facilitates the procefs. When completed the 



combed wool is drawn off with the fingers, forming what is 

 called aJJiver; the (horter part of the wool fticks in the 

 teeth of the comb, and is called the noyi: this is fold to the 

 clothiers. 



From the above defcription, it is evident that if the ftaple 

 of the wool be not found, the greater part of it will be 

 broken by the procefs of combing, and form noyls. The 

 ftaple muft alfo have a fufficient degree of length for the 

 combs to operate upon it. Length and foundnefs of the 

 ftaple are therefore the moft effential and charafteriftic qua- 

 hties of combing-wools. 



Long wools may be claffed into two kinds : firft, thofe 

 fuited for the manufadlure of hard yarn for worfted pieces ; 

 and fecond, thofe fuited for the manufafture of foft yam 

 ufed for hofiery. The former require a greater length of 

 ftaple than the latter. The firft may therefore be called 

 long combing-wool, and the latter (hort combing-wool ; 

 between thefe there are gradations of wool, which may be 

 apphed to either purpofe. 



Long combing-wool fhould have the ftaple from fix 

 inches to eight, ten, or even twelve, in length. Before the 

 recent improvements in fpinning by machinery, a very great 

 length of ftaple was confidered as an excellence in long 

 combing-wools ; and on this account the hog-wool, or the 

 firft fleeces from (heep which had not been fhom when 

 lambs, was more valuable than the wether wool from the 

 fame flock, and bore a higher price than the former, by at 

 leaft fifteen per cent. Since that time the wether wool has 

 rifen in relative value on account of the evennefs of the 

 ftaple, each lock being nearly equally thick at both ends ; 

 but the ftaple of hog-wool is pointed, or what is technically 

 called ^iriyi. Eight inches, if the wool be found, may be 

 regarded as a very proper length for heavy combing-wools. 

 The longer ftapled wool was formerly worked by itfelf, 

 and ufed for the finer fpun yarn, or mixed in fmall 

 quantities with the wether wool, to improve the fpinning. 

 It is found that an equal length of ftaple contributes to the 

 evennefs of the thread when fpun by machinery, and a very 

 great length of ftaple is rather injurious than otherwife in 

 the procefs of machine fpinning. To the wool-grower, 

 however, it muft always be defirable to iucreafe the length 

 of his heavy combing fleeces, as he thereby materially in- 

 creafes the weight ; and we have not yet learned that the 

 price has ever been reduced on this account, for if the wool 

 be too long for fome branches of the worfted manufafture, 

 there are others in which it may be worked with advantage. 



The length of the ftaple may be increaled by a plentiful 

 fupply of nutritious food. The fame effeft may alfo be 

 produced by letting the wool remain a longer lime on the 

 fheep before it is fliorn. We have feen a ftaple of Lincoln- 

 fhire wool which was twenty inches in length : it had grown 

 tv.'o years without (hearing. This, however, would be un- 

 attended with any advantage to the grower. The more 

 frequently fheep are (horn, provided the wool is fufEciently 

 long, the greater will be the weight grown in a given time 

 on the fame inimal ; for, from obfervations which we have 

 made, we are fatisfied that wool is grown more rapidly im- 

 mediately after the fheep are fhorn than at any other time. 

 Length of ftaple in wool depends primarily on the breed, 

 but may be more affefted by culture than many other quzili- 

 ties of the fleece. The foundnefs of the ftaple may be eafily 

 judged of by pulling both ends of it with the fingers with, 

 confiderable force. In weak or unfound wool the ftaple 

 eafily breaks in one or more parts, and on obferving it, it 

 will be feen that the fibres are much thinner in the part " 

 which breaks. This is occafioned either by a deficient fup- 

 ply 



