Animal products; . d. But nothing is so sure to causea break in wool, and in many sheep a perfect stripping or sheddingof the entire fleece, as want of water. It is not only important that wools should be free from thedefects above described, but it is desirable that the whole of thevarious parts of the fleece should have, as nearly as possible, auniformity of character, that is, as regards fineness, length ofstaple, density, and softness. The illustration on the opposite page represents the differentcharacters of the wools chiefly utilised : No. i being Cape sheepswool, No. 2 Spanish Merino,
Animal products; . d. But nothing is so sure to causea break in wool, and in many sheep a perfect stripping or sheddingof the entire fleece, as want of water. It is not only important that wools should be free from thedefects above described, but it is desirable that the whole of thevarious parts of the fleece should have, as nearly as possible, auniformity of character, that is, as regards fineness, length ofstaple, density, and softness. The illustration on the opposite page represents the differentcharacters of the wools chiefly utilised : No. i being Cape sheepswool, No. 2 Spanish Merino, No. 3 Southdown, No. 4 Camelshair, No. 5 Mohair, or fine goats wool, No. 6 Alpaca, No. 7Llama, No. 8 that of the Yak. In sorting wool for market, the fleeces should not be broken,but merely divested of the breech and stained locks, and assorted VARIETIES OF WOOL. 35 or arranged so that each bale or package may contain fleeces ofthe same character as to colour, length of staple, fineness of wool,and general VARIETIES OF WOOL AS SEEN UNDER THE MICROSCOPE. The wool from different parts of the same fleece is of variousqualities, yet so sensitive by use do the fingers of the expe-rienced stapler become, that it is with surprising rapidity he sepa-rates the masses before him into ten, twelve, or more kinds, takingdue cognisance of the strength, cleanliness, regularity, colour, andsoftness of each. The fleece is sorted into combing and clothingwools, and broken fleece, or pieces and locks. In dividing and stapling, the fleece is spread by the fellmongerand laid on the sorting board, sheared side down. To the un-accustomed eye it looks a fleece of wool, all of one colour andquality, but to the sorter the different qualities are widely breaks the skirts for one sort, the flank for another, the middleof the back and fore shoulders for another; and when the sheep d 2 36 TECHNICAL NAMES OF WOOL, has been crossed too broadly between coarse and fine, takes outthe coarse
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