88 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Fex., 1900. 
than those of inferior size. He says: ‘According to mathematical principle® 
the surface of the skin is not in proportion to the volume of the body, ant 
there is far less of it in a large minal than in a small one.” This princi 
may be true, and the application of it correct. Amongst animals 0 
an equal degree of fineness and density the smaller races of merinos deservé 
according to Barbangais, to be preferred to the larger ones. I do not venture 
to say whether Barbangais’ theory is correct or not; so much, however, is certalll 
—that calculations of that nature must be highly interesting and instructive: 
For instance, there are two animals, A and B, of same age and sex, living unde 
the same circumstances, and being of the same living weight. The fleeces art 
shorn equally close and scoured equally well, and have the same market value 
A cuts 5 1b.,B41b. The quantity of grease, extracted through ether or bisulphide 
of carbon from samples of equal weight, amounts in A to 50 per cent., in B 
20 per cent. Consequently A returns 2°5 lb. of pure wool fibre, while B return® 
3°2 lb. How much has that been per Ib. of living weight, and how much foddel 
has it required? Such investigations, however instructive they may be, at 
a ee deal of care, which can be bestowed on a very few and choice individual® 
only. 
The Getting-up.—The manipulations which are necessary to bring the wool. 
to market in the most saleable state are generally called “the getting-up.” } 
comprises washing, shearing, sorting, and packing. Whilst growing on thé 
sheep’s back the fleeces are liable to be soiled. Foreign particles, such as dush 
burr, grass-seeds, may find their way into the wool. Not only have these adm 
tures to be separated before the manufacturer can make any use of the wool, bu! 
the natural yolk of the wool aswell. Very little, if any, Australian wool is now 
being washed on the sheep’s back. As a rule, manufacturers prefer to g@ 
the wool in the grease, so as to employ the methods of scouring moé! 
approved of by themselves for their own particular purposes. The yolk 
the wool has become, moreover, a marketable substance. At the same 
time scouring is largely employed for the sake of saving freight. I hav? 
explained on a former occasion that any system of scouring, as done 
the colonies, cannot be regarded as a substitute for the scouring done by the 
ig acorn gt Ey fan the greater portion of the wool scoured here has to ? 
scoured again inthe factories or the scouring works at home. In fact, greas 
wool-is*much preférred to that scoured in the colonies, because, firstly, the yo! 
of the wool, whilst in its natural condition, undergoes a process of decompos 
tion whére the fleeces are packed very tight or dumped, which facilitates if 
solittion and complete removal. Secondly, in scouring wool, several of th? 
clements instrumental in promoting this decomposition are removed ; thirdly; 
those parts of the yolk still Jeftin the wool after scouring here are just those was) 
portions most difficult to remove by themselves. Thus colonial scouring is ° 
no service to the home scourer. Most wool-growers are familiar with the variol 
methods employed in scouring, and it would lead us too far to enter into @ 
description of them here. The main points to which a colonial scourer has 
pay attention are not to use water of too high a temperature; secondly, not 1 
employ strong caustics in a concentrated form; thirdly, not to handle th® 
wool too much, otherwise it will bécome felted and form strings and ropes. 
aS 
SS 
Wool-sorting.—It is impossible to lay down any rules for sorting the fleec 
on every station, because the sheep on many stations differ from each othe 
very considerably as to the quality of their wool. Some flocks are made Up 
from sheep periodically purchased from different stations. In such cases } 
would be best to pack the fleeces taken from thé several breeds separately 
provided their types are sufliciently distinct to warrant such a separation. 
The reader will understand this subject much better after he has made 
himself familiar with the most important features of the woollen manufactul% 
which I intend to consider next; and I shall take up again the subject 
wool-sorting later on. : 4 
