6 4 4 



Preparation of Wool for Market. [nov., 



grass where sheep are to be shorn, even if it is carefully 

 swept before the shearing, is most undesirable. It is im- 

 possible to remove all the pieces of grass, and these get into 

 the fleece, and, being almost like threads, cannot be removed, 

 and cause much labour and loss in the future processes 

 through which the wool has to pass. All earth-lumps or 

 dung should be removed before the wool is "wound." 



Locks, tailings, skin-wool, blacks, cotts, or greasy wool 

 must be kept separate and never put inside the fleeces. To 

 do otherwise constitutes "false-winding." 



Branding of Sheep. — The use of tar or paint is very objec- 

 tionable for branding, and such substances should be used as 

 sparingly as possible, and if the brand is not placed on the 

 ear or face, then it should be put immediately above the tail 

 of the animal. In many cases much too large a branding- 

 iron is in use. There is some reason to hope that before long 

 a material that will stand as a "mark," and yet be soluble in 

 hot water, will be discovered. If such a material were obtain- 

 able and were universally used, the loss which manufacturers 

 suffer under present conditions would be avoided. 



Methods of Tying Fleeces. — The fleece should be "wound" 

 on a clean wooden table, and should be tied with a "band" 

 made by twisting a portion of the fleece itself. Most farmers 

 tie up their fleeces in this way, but in a few western and 

 southern counties string or binder-twine is used for the pur- 

 pose. This is most objectionable, especially in the case of 

 "binder-twine," which is loosely made, and consequently I 

 "frays" and gets into the wool. The loss entailed by this! 

 practice in the after-processes is very serious, as the most 

 careful supervision fails to find the small particles, which get 

 into the cloth, causing endless annoyance and trouble. 



Storage of Wool. — The wool should be stored in a dry 

 chamber or granary, and be piled clear of all the walls and 

 carefully covered in order to keep out the dust. 



Rats and mice should be kept from it if possible, as where 

 they have access they carry corn and other materials into 

 it, and in other ways injure the wool. 



Dips. — In the selection of dips, care should be taken to 

 use only those that do not permanently stain the wool or 

 injure the fibre. 



