94 BULLETIN 313, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
After skirting, each man turns his side of the fleece in toward the 
center and one turns back the neck end while the other turns the 
other end in toward the neck end. The fleece is then rolled up from 
the breech forward, making it into a neat bundle, which is then e¢ar- 
ried to the classer’s table. 
PIECE PICKING. 
Before discussing the work at the classer’s table, it will be best to 
follow the skirtings further. The wool dropped to the floor by the 
skirters is carried to the table of the piece picker. Ordinarily the 
piece picker makes three lots from what comes to his table—stained 
wool; first pieces, which consist of the lightest and cleanest pieces; 
and the inferior or second pieces. These three kinds of pieces are 
taken to corresponding bins convenient to the baler. If heavy dung 
locks are present they are thrown into a pile at one side until the 
wool can be clipped off during odd times or on wet days. In some 
cases, when it is necessary to remove considerable burry wool from 
the neck, this goes to the bin for broken fleeces and may also first 
have some pieces removed from it. The floor sweepings go over the 
piece picker’s table. The bellies commonly go direct to their bin in 
the baling room, though preferably the discolored wool is taken out 
as stained pieces, particularly in handling wethers’ wool. The second 
cuts, sweat locks, etc., that fall through the wool tables are baled as 
locks. The number of bales of bellies, pieces, and locks resulting from 
this work averages around one-third of the total number in the clip. 
It is claimed in some cases that the extra value received for pieces by 
having them assorted is sufficient to pay for the labor of the wool room. 
WOOL CLASSING. 
Most interesting, though perhaps not always most important, of all, 
is the work of the classer or grader, as he would be known in a 
United States warehouse. His table is located convenient to the bins 
from which the balers take the wool, and faces in such a way as to 
give him a view of the work at the tables. He directs and is responsi- 
ble for the work of the skirters and rollers, piece pickers, and balers. 
He receives the rolled fleeces at his own table and must assign each to 
its proper class. The number of classers and their designation de- 
pend upon the size and character of the clip. It is regarded as 
always desirable that the best lot should be the largest and that as 
few classes as possible should be made. At the same time a fleece that 
is tender or otherwise inferior is never placed with better fleeces to 
avoid making another class, as its presence would destroy the buyer’s 
confidence in the classing of the whole clip. 
This point is presented by a large wool-selling commission house in 
the following suggestions: 
