PREPARATION OF WOOL FOR MARKET.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1532, 19 June 1891, Page 2

PREPARATION OF WOOL FOR MARKET.

(Town and Country Journal.) ScOUXUSQ, ETC. In the first place it will be necessary to consider what wools to scour, and which will {five the best results if sold in the grease. I would not recommend growers to scour the higher grades of free, fine, good, stapled wool, suitable for the American or French markets ; the buyers of such wool, when washed, have to discount their purchases with the amount of duty that washed wool has to pay when I entering their ports. It will be necessary here to 1 describe these wools for the guidance of growers generally. They consist of our best combing and clothing wool, but more of the former; in either case they must be free, bright, lustrous, and elastic, which really mca s fineness, with a fair amount of yolk spread evenly throughout the whole fleece. This gives the wool a good handle, which quality is retained after manufacture. To those that are not adepts at wool-elassing, the following simple rule may be of some use in arriving at a decision, whether their wool comes within this range or not: Take a lock from an average sheep of the flock, select it between the hack and the shoulder, lay it flat on an inch rule, and if one can count 30 spirals to the inch it is suitable for either market. Tiie more one can conut the finer the wool, and vice versa. But should the wool have all these qualities, and at the same time it is either earthy, seedy, or hurry, or the land carriage is excessive, then if facilities exist scour by all means. In all cases I would advise the scouring upon the station of all low portions of the fleece or inferior wool of any kind. Th are the wools that are chiefly operated upon by the metropolitan wool scourers, who of course rate the grower’s wool that has cost 2d to bring to the seaboard with a similar wool that baa cost loss than id per lb to place it in the same position. 1 do not i tend to deal with this matter scientifically, hut as far as lays in my power to bring the whole matter within the range of any intelligent grower' and in that cose I will not have recourse to thermometers, chemicals, or other her'ildori' g appliances. The best aU-pygd see-# pan be mads a* follows : Take, say a uay of the he*i ' *ovvn °c-n for ’ each bale intended to t - .poured, say 10 bates par day, cut up 10 bars of soap place them in a capper with three gallons t ,water to the bar, »»■•* let the whole boil awav for an hour or two slowly, so when all is melted there will he about 30 gallons >t scour made. Let it cool and it will be a soft jelly. When a soak is about to bo made, if the water is run in just thou, the scour can be put in the soak tub ; hut if it is intended to run the water on top of the wool after being placed in soak tank, it will he necessary to see that the scour is mixed evenly with the hot water. The heat of water is the next matter to consider. This can he ascertained thus : If the wool is of a nice soft handle, if the hand can be borne in the water for a few seconds, it will make good work ; hut if the wool is harsh and dry, then the water must be much hotter, hut on no account that hot that it will burn the wool. With a little experience and attention this matter will soon be understood, ‘and the operator ascertain to a certainty what heat to have the water for each particular wool. Have the soak tank sufficiently large that there will be no crowding of the wop! vWieu soaking. Have the wool

in soak about the consistency of dough. Some prefer a wet soak in preference to this method, It is a matter of professional opinion. If either of the methods recommended herein is adopted for washing, do not overload the tank, but place about 41b or 51b of wool in at a time, and as soon as in the tank thoroughly stir the wool about. This is most essential, for if allowed to rest the crease and dirt clings, and cannot be got rid of again without a resoaking. After the water becomes quite clear, take the wool from the tank and repeat the operation. Stack the day’s washing until next morning, then spread out on sheets, keeping it freely turned during the day. Should wet weather set in, place the wool in win rows, and turn it at least once each day to keep it cool and retain color. Wien the wool is sufficiently dry it should be placed in bins to come to its proper smell, when it may be packed and forwarded to market.