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1 Jan., 1900.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. L 
Acriculture, 
THE WOOL INDUSTRY FROM A BUYER’S STANDPOINT 
No. 3. 
By F E. STURMFELS. 
Ir the judicious classing of wool is essential in order that it may be presented 
to the buyer in the best marketable condition, the skirting, if anything, is of 
still more importance, since in attending to it thoroughly we get a well-classed 
wool, practically sorted, and free from all its inferior parts. _ 
The percentage of skirting to be done naturally varies with the class of wool 
which has to be handled; for instance, a well, even-grown fleece, free from. 
burrs or other vegetable matters, will only require trimming round the fleece 
and the lower skirts, taking off where the difference in fineness is apparent, 
while faulty fleeces, burry and seedy, as well as tender in the backs, should. 
receive drastic handling, and all parts of similar appearance and quality be kept 
by themselves; in fact, as regards the latter case, it means practically breaking- 
up the fleece into several grades. 
HOW TO SKIRT. 
The fleece having been spread out on the sorting table, as previously 
explained (the bellies having already been separated in the usual way by the: 
shearer), the points or dark parts should be trimmed all round the fleece and. 
thrown into the locks ; then the lower parts of the breeches should be separated’ 
by effecting the division with the two hands where the line of demarcation is: 
fully visible from the cleaner appearance of the upper parts; this goes into the: 
second pieces, if two grades are decided upon, but if only one quality is resorted’ 
to, on account of the smallness of the clip, they sive be simply called and’ 
branded “pieces,” and the work practically finishes here. The fleece is then 
rolled and, the grade being determined, is put in its respective bin; but when 
skirting is pushed further, the first pieces, which are usually cleaner, bolder, 
and not so fine as the body of the fleece or fleece proper, will now require to be 
separated where the finer staple shows a decided contrast. In this way a 
uniform “first pieces” of good length and strength, and sometimes lighter in 
condition than the fleece itself, is produced, which in many cases will realise as. 
much as if not more than the fleece. A good average well-grown wool will 
not require further handling. The fleece must now be folded, rolled, and put: 
in its respective bin. No tying of the fleeces is required, the old style of using: 
string being now quite obsolete, and, as manufacturers had to take every particle: 
out of the wool before it was allowed to go into the machines, it involved an 
unnecessary expense on both sides. 
In the Western and North-western districts of Queensland, where the 
fibre naturally runs fine, in time, through climatic influences, it often occurs 
that the backs are mushy and sometimes dusty, in which case it is found 
advisable to have them taken entirely out and classed separately ; necks, being 
of uniform length, usually dry and of good yielding quality, also are frequently 
kept by themselves, but this can only be done on large stations. 
ur previous remarks apply mostly to grazing farmers and selectors, but 
when cutting out does not exceed forty or fifty bales it would be preferable to 
class by sexes, and brand as follows :—“ H” for hoggets, “E” for ewes, “ W’* 
for wethers ; and give due attention to our remarks about thorough skirting. 
