Wool and its Uses. 
159 
a gain, but this must be done by selection within the family 
itself, and not by crossing from the outside. 
In attempts to improve the breed by crosses of Down and 
half-bred, the long, straight hair of the Cotswold is broken, and 
the fine soft hair of the Do^\ti is rendered harsh and coarse. It 
is not too much to say that users of Cotswold wool would prefer 
it in all its original coarseness, rather than have its character 
altered by any crossing whatever. 
The same remarks apply to the wools of Leicestershire and 
the Midland Counties generally. Fineness of hair is valuable 
so long as it is obtained in the right way. These wools are used 
for classes of dress goods where a certain " handle " is required, 
and any interference with the breed removes the wool into other 
channels of trade. 
It will perhaps be convenient here to explain the term 
" handle " as understood by manufacturers. Almost any 
'"handle" can be given to cotton and similar goods by the pro- 
cess of finishing after the goods are woven. But for the kind 
of wear for which woollen and worsted goods are required this is 
not possible, as the finish would disappear after being worn a 
while. Every one knows the difference between the " feel " or 
" handle " of a piece of flannel and that of a piece of flag-bunting 
or boot-top lasting, or junior counsel's go^ra cloth. The one is 
soft, comparatively uneven and spongy, and the Aveaving appears 
indefinite. The other is hard, firm, flat in the surface, with the 
weave clearly marked. This difference arises from the inherent 
characteristics of the wool from which the goods are made, which 
characteristics are " nursed " and made the most of in the pro- 
cess of manufacture. In a word, you cannot make flannel out of 
Gloucester avooI, and you cannot make flags out of Southdown. 
The " handle " required in the goods must therefore always be 
present in the wool in the first instance. 
II. The Down or Short Wool. — In discussing Down wools, 
quite the opposite set of constituents of value prevail to those 
which I have referred to above. In this wool, absence of lustre, 
the finest possible fibre, and not too much length, are the desirable 
qualities. The principal uses to which Down wools are put are 
hosieiy, under-garments, flannels, and similar goods ; also for 
some woollen goods where a springy light handle is desired. 
The wool being very curly and elastic, it is specially fitted for 
all purposes where a somewhat rough and at the same time soft 
surface is desired. In goods such as worsted coatings and cloth 
requiring a smooth finish, colonial wool is now always used ; but 
when the fashion runs on cloths with a rough flannel-like sur- 
face, being at the same time even and soft to the touch, a good 
demand for Down wools may be expected. In fact, the value 
