18 BULLETIN 206, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGBICULTURE. 
and the grass is not as thick as in the central and eastern part of the 
country. The wind blows with considerable force, creating sand 
storms in some sections, and much sand and dirt are deposited upon 
the sheep. These conditions give rise to a heavy-shrinking wool, as 
would naturally be expected. The wools containing sand usually 
shrink more than those containing mountain dirt. Occasional fleeces 
from this district shrink more than 80 per cent, and the average for 
the different States ranges from 63 to 70 per cent. There is often 
considerable variation in shrinkage from year to year in the wools 
from any particular locality. When there has been snow on the 
ground during the winter, the clips are often 5 per cent lighter than 
when the range is bare. The selling of territory wools upon the mar- 
ket is consequently upon a clean or scoured basis. 
Classification and grades of territory wools. 
combing. 
Fine staple 
Fine medium staple, f n8uaI1 ^ one - rade - 
Half-blood staple. 
Three-eighths-blood staple 
Quarter-blood staple. 
Lowquarter-blood staple.] blood 
Coarse, common, low, or [often one grade, 
braid. 
CLOTHING. 
Fine clothing. 
Fine medium clothing] 11 * 11 * 1 ^ degrade. 
Half-blood clothing. 
Three-eighths-blood clothing. 
Quarter-blood clothing, or short quarter- 
Practically all three-eighths-blood and quarter-blood wools are of 
combing length. 
The term " staple" as applied to a territory wool refers to a comb- 
ing wool. "Ordinary" is sometimes used to designate clothing wool 
in this section instead of referring to quality. The terms of fine, fine 
medium, medium, and low medium have arisen and are used in a 
general way in referring to territory wools. They are often used in 
referring to original lots and are largely equivalent to the following : 
Fine =XX and X qualities, or fine staple and fine clothing. 
Fine medium=X, half-blood and three-eighths-blood. 
Medium = Three-eighths-blood and quarter-blood. 
Low medium = Low quarter-blood and braid. 
It is rather difficult to attempt to characterize the wools from each 
State, as they grade almost imperceptibly into one another. Often 
differences appear in the wools that can be recognized, but are diffi- 
cult to describe. 
Montana. — Montana wools as a whole are probably the best of the 
territory clips. They are light-shrinking compared to the wools of 
the neighboring States, of good length, and attractive in appearance. 
They have a slightly creamy tinge which shows up even after scour- 
ing. Their felting qualities are good. It is sometimes claimed that 
