NOTES ON WOOL. 305 
Iwill now proceed with the qualities of wool A good merino 
possess— 
combing wool should 
is so much waste or noils when they are passed through 
the combs that manufacturers cannot afford to give lon 
prices, ; 
# Colour and lustre.—The wool should be bright and light- 
coloured, so as to be capable of receiving the most 
delicate and brilliant dyes. For alpacas and many other 
manufactures, lustre is indispensable. 
—, Tregret to say many of our finest wools are much injured by 
: the Bathurst burr, which is rapidly spreading. Even in Virgil’s 
‘time sheepowners had similar trouble: 
2 “Si tibi lanitium cure, primum aspera silva : 
S Lappeeque tribolique absint fuge pabula leta. 
There should be an Act under which the Government would 
abe e keep the roads and reserves clear of these noxious 
: teds and compel the landowners and Crown tenants to exterminate 
them from eir holdings, 
Sheep are Sometimes annoyed with ticks, which are occasionally 
2 numerous enough to irritate the sheep into a feverish state, and 
oy € silkiness and softness of the wool, discolour it, and 
the fleeces with their bodies, eggs, and filth, We have some 
me i" effectual dips which do not appear to injure the wool. 
mans used a complicated one as follows :— 
“ Aut tonsum tristi contingunt corpus amurga, 
Et spumas misce t nti vivaque sulfura, 
“apy parts of Scotland they smear the sheep with tar and 
: oo? out the cold. The wool, however, suffers in value 
us dressing to the extent of 25 to 35 per cent. — 
| should mention that a moderate quantity of yolk aga ag 
a Keeping the wool in a sound healthy condition. : This yo. : 1s 
Bi matter, consisting of animal oil in combination with 
Zz 
