THE W00LGR0WER AND THE WOOL TRADE. 27 
years previous. He knows of tho weather conditions, whether or not 
the winter lias been an open one, and he estimates the shrinkage 
accordingly. He knows whether or not there has been a blizzard and 
if the wool is likely to be tender. He knows something of the breed- 
ing of the sheep and how the owner runs them, for these are all 
matters of knowledge throughout the country. In fact, he has many 
sources of information that act as a general guide to values. Yet the 
grower very often receives little or no benefit for extra pains taken in 
growing and preparing the wool, and he has just grounds for com- 
plaint. In this connection he must appreciate the fact that com- 
paratively few clips are large enough to yield the amount of wool of 
any one grade that is called for at one time by a manufacturing con- 
cern. This being the case, the "fine staple" or the "half blood" of 
one clip has to be thrown with that of one or more other clips to form 
a commercial parcel. Unless the buyer of the individual clips is pos- 
itive that each one has been put up in the same good way he can not 
insist upon receiving a greater price from the millmen, because they 
will not relax their safeguards while there is danger of even a very 
small amount of damage from paint, poor twine, or any one of the 
vexatious causes that experience has shown are to be looked for. 
HOW AMERICAN METHODS OF HANDLING WOOL MAY BE IMPROVED. 
If some plan can be worked out whereby American wools can be 
prepared for market in a manner similar to foreign wools, while they 
are still the property of the growers, it should be to the advantage 
of all concerned. 
GRADING ON THE RANGE. 
It has been claimed that on account of the American growers' 
comparative nearness to market he should make no attempt to grade 
his clip. How sound this claim is depends upon how cheaply and 
how well the work can be done on the range. There is no question 
that the wool is in better condition for grading immediately after 
shearing than at any later time. Grading without baling has been 
practiced in several instances in the west, but the only resulting 
advantage has been to enable the owner to determine more nearly 
the value of his clip. 
BALING ON THE RANGE. 
The statement has been made that baling western wools would 
militate against higher prices because of resulting poorer appearance. 
Some southern Wyoming wools have been baled ungraded for a 
number of years, and a dealer who handles a considerable portion of 
these says they have not been damaged. Possibly if this wool was 
baled to the density of foreign wool without being graded and the 
tags removed, injury would result. The reason these wools have been 
