lt Ocr., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 861 
Description or Prarr, 
Diametrical cut of the ski 
n with a longitudinal section of the root of a sheep’s hair having a 
medullary channel— 
a. The medullary channel. The dark streaks represent the process of the papilla. 
b. Cortical layer building itself up out of the round cells, containing nuclei, which higher 
up assume more lengthened shapes. 
¢. The cuticle of the hair, consisting of epithelial lamelle placed above each other like 
tiles or shingles. 
d. The hair papilla and its vessels, 
ec. Process of the hair papilla. 
f. Cuticle of the inner root sheath. 
g. Huxley’s layer of the inner root sheath. 
h. The outer layer (Henle’s) of the inner root sheath, 
The external root sheath— 
i. The inner layer of the same. 
k. The outer cylinder of the same. 
l. The hair bulb, or root. 
m. The horny layer of the cuticle. 
ma. The mucous layer of cuticle. 
n. The upper roundish cells containing nuclei. 
o. The deeper cylindrical layer of cells. 
A, Sebaceous glands. 
BB. Fat cclls. 
ReMARK.—Some of the plates have been taken from Bohm, 
a 
THE WOOL INDUSTRY FROM A BUYER’S STANDPOINT. 
By F. E, STURMFELS, 
In is doubtful whether any textile varies more in grade, fineness, and condition 
than wool. Breeding from different types alters the fibre, according to whether 
coarse, medium, or fine grades are required. by the breeder but climatic 
influences are, to a great extent, responsible for many variations in the degree 
of fineness of wool; and while the former has a permanent effect on the fibre 
the latter varies the quality, fineness, and condition each season, so that we may 
confidently say that no two consecutive clips resemble one another though the 
breed may easily be detected, and we shall therefore haye to boneiian the 
seasons when we come to the subject of woolclassing. 
It is not the object of this article to treat in any way with the breeding of 
sheep, as our large woolgrowers are generally aw fait on this subject. i 
The production of merino wool in Australia represents the ‘largest exports 
from the colonies; and to enable us to deal advantageously with such an 
important article, we must naturally be able to place it on the market for sale 
in such a condition as will ensure the best ecults, It will, therefore, be our 
object in succeeding articles to deal principally with the judicious classing of wool. 
Within the past twelve years the number of grazing farms and small 
holdings in this colony has been on the increase, and the owners do not always 
find it expedient or practicable to secure the Services of experienced wool- 
classers ; therefore our endeavour may prove of more service to small erowers 
than to large station owners, : 
Through the experience gained in pat years, large squatters have found it 
necessary to devote more attention to the classing and skirting of the fleeces, so 
that their work now practically amounts to good sorting. Most of the wodls 
which are well classed now, as a rule, go direct into the machines without a 
further handling, to be turned into carded or combed wool according to the 
requirements of the purchaser. It is, therefore, obvious that the buyer can pay 
more for well-classed wools than for those which have been imperfectly classed 
and badly skirted, without mentioning such wooly which have neither been 
classed nor skirted, as in these cases the wool must be sorted at home, and this 
means time and money which can quite as easily be earned in the colony. ; 
