466 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Nov., 1899. 
advantage of the grower, who is now reaping the 
from the foregoing that a good style of classing Is 
essential, but at the same time this can be earried too far, and for this reason 
growers, and particularly small growers, will do well to confine their classing to 
as few qualities as possible, according to the number of sheep to be shorn. 
Two styles of classing may be chosen—the first one into grades, and the 
second into colour. In the event of adopting the latter method, all fleeces of 
the same appearance and colour should be classed as follows, the sexes bein: 
kept separate :—The bright, light, and clean wool should be classed together an 
branded 1st fleece hoggets, ewes, or wethers; the fleeces which are slightly 
dingy or less bright than the first should be branded 2nd fleece hoggets, ewes, 
or wethers; while very dingy, earthy, and heavy fleeces should go to make the 
3rds, which may be branded ‘‘fleece” only. The same classification applies to 
skirts. 
Crasstnc By Grapes—In this case the qualities mostly appreciated by 
manufacturers are :— 
lst Combing.—A wool of good length, fine, sound, and of shafty staple, 
bright in colour. é 
2nd Combing.—A wool of medium length and medium colour, not quite 
so fine in fibre, but of sound staple. 
1st Olothing —This should comprise the finest of short wool, provided it 
is sound, bright, and clean. 
2nd Olothing.—This quality should contain all short-stapled fleeces, not 
quite so fine as in the former grade and of less brightness. 
A Fleece-—In this class should be thrown all mushy, dingy, earthy, and 
faulty fleeces. 
The skirting should be done in the following manner :— 
lst Pieces.—Bulky wool of an even bright colour and of good length. 
2nd Pieces.—Lhe lower parts of the first pieces, generally not so bright, 
while heavier in grease and lower in quality. 
Stained Pieces —All parts discoloured and partly matted should be 
included in this brand. 
Bellies.—The bellies should always be kept by themselves, and, where the 
quantity will allow, they might advantageously be made into two 
sorts: the lighter ones as Ist bellies, and the heavy ones as 2nd 
bellies. oe eS 
Locks —All dark points trimmed off the fleeces and all which falls from 
the tables will constitute locks. Dags, however, should be 
scrupulously taken off the wool and thrown on the refuse heap. 
How ro Crass By Cotour.—tThe fleece having been shorn, is taken up 
and thrown with a sweep on to the table, where it is well spread out. On no 
account should the shorn sidé be uppermost, as in this manner the difference in 
brightness cannot possibly be ascertained, but, if the fleece appears as on the 
_ sheep’s back on the table, the difference between a bright fleece and a dingy 
one will at once be noticeable. The different grades are therefore easily kept 
separate. 
Flow ro Crass py Grapes.—Our aim here is to’ get as near as possible 
all fleeces of a similar appearance and length together. When we say as near 
as possible, we mean that, say, a good bright fleece of about 2 to 24 inches in 
length, and sound in staple, can be put with a similar quality of, say, 3 inches 
or more, and vice versd, with shorter and inferior grades. 
To ascertain the average length of the staple (the fleece being spread out 
as explained above), a staple or lock should be rapidly drawn out of the fleece 
with the thumb and index finger of the right hand, and the other end of the 
of sorting at home, to the 
benefits. It will be seen 
