16 BULLETIN 206, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
creek.'' Such fleeces shrink more than those properly washed and 
could not be fairly placed in an offering of washed wool, as their loss 
in scouring would be much greater. Fleeces may be unmerchantable 
for other reasons. These terms do not always mean that the washing 
operation has actually taken place, the practice of washing being on 
the decline, but sometimes refer solely to shrinkage. The washed 
wools are lighter in color and condition, shrinking 3 or 4 per cent 
less than the unmerchantable, and the latter shrinks about the same 
amount less than the unwashed. 
Michigan and New York. — Michigan and New York have the 
same classification and the wools are quite similar, some of them 
being fully as good as Ohio and Pennsylvania wools. As a whole, 
however, they are not quite up to this standard. The wools from 
the above States are quite frequently spoken of as the "fleece," 
"domestic," "native/ 7 or "farm' 1 wools. 
Kentucky and similar. — Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, and Wiscon- 
sin wools are not so fine in character. They rarely grade higher 
than half or three-eighths blood, as most of the sheep are of the 
mutton type. The pasture is much the same as in the "fleece" 
wool States. The term "bright" is sometimes applied to the wools 
of these States. 
Parts of Tennessee and Virginia are given over to the spring-lamb 
industry and the}' produce some wools of a medium quality. Much 
of it is consumed by local knitting mills. This is some of the lightest 
shrinking wool in America, some of it not going higher than 35 per 
cent. Georgia and some of the other Southern States produce some 
rather coarse, light -shrinking wools. 
SCOURED BASIS. 
Texas. — Wool from Texas and the "territories'' is usually quoted 
on a scoured basis. The reason for this is that there is such a wide 
variation in shrinkage in different localities and also from season to 
season that the clean basis is more satisfactory. In Texas shearing 
twice a year is often practiced. These short wools are probably 
the best American felting wools. They are also highly regarded in 
certain branches of woolen manufacture. The 12-months clip of 
Texas is probably as near the Ohio type of wool as any western wool. 
The Merino blood is still strongly dominant here. These wools 
sometimes shrink as low as 56 to 58 per cent. The average for the 
entire State, however, has been estimated at 66 per cent. The spring 
and fall Texas wools come to market untied. 
California. — The California wools are quoted as northern, middle, 
and southern counties. The northern counties wool usually repre- 
sents a year's growth, and is the most valuable. In the middle and 
southern counties the wool shrinks more, and shearing is often prac- 
