. Our domestic animals, their habits, intelligence and usefulness;. on of these useful animals. The most ancient bibhcal stories makemention of the shearing of sheep and of thecustom of making the occasion a festivalcoincident with that of the harvest. As wehave already seen in treating of the differ-ent races, there is a great difference in thequality of the wool. We may disregardthe short fleeces covering head and long fleeces are divided into two qualities, — one of superiorsolidity and full of marrow,and the other soft, downy, andwithout marrow. If we exam-ine a thread of wool und
. Our domestic animals, their habits, intelligence and usefulness;. on of these useful animals. The most ancient bibhcal stories makemention of the shearing of sheep and of thecustom of making the occasion a festivalcoincident with that of the harvest. As wehave already seen in treating of the differ-ent races, there is a great difference in thequality of the wool. We may disregardthe short fleeces covering head and long fleeces are divided into two qualities, — one of superiorsolidity and full of marrow,and the other soft, downy, andwithout marrow. If we exam-ine a thread of wool under themicroscope, we find it com-posed of cells which overlapeach other like the scales ofa fish, and within is a hollow,full of marrow, forming themedullary canal. The coarserthe wool the larger the canal;in very fine wool it is whollyabsent. In some races thismarrow canal, which theirancestors certainly possessed and which stillpredominates in the wild sheep now existing,is completely replaced by a species of downwithout marrow, a wool which is of far greater. Very Long P^leece THE SHEEP 189 value to man. The Merino is an examjilc ofa race which now produces this improved wool,but many other breeds of short-wool sheephave the same quality. The quality of the wool is judged b\ itscurls (as, for instance, the number there areto the square inch) ; by the length whenuncurled and stretched out ; b_\- the weightwhich each thread can bear without breaking;by its elasticity, that is to sa\-, its power tocurl up again after being stretched out; andfinally, by its color and brilliancy. The great variety of wools now existing ma\be classed in two groups, — the fine or shortand carding wool, and the long, coarse, andcombing wool. For the manufacture of cloththe former — such, for instance, as the Merinossupply — is used. The softer materials, such asthibet, are made with longer, less curly wool,which is carded before it is spun ; these latterfabrics bear the name of ctaniittc, or
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