TERMS THE WOOLMAN USES

Northern Advocate, 26 June 1937, Page 12 (Supplement)

TERMS THE WOOLMAN USES

During the shearing and woolselling season sheep owners frequently come across terms in brokers’ and Press reports which they find a little puzzling. To the large owner and those familiar with the trade the following, words will need no explaining, but there are doubtless others to whom some, at least, of the appended interpretations will be of Interest: — Break.—-Referring to a break in the wool caused by sheep being on good and bad country alternately. When sheep are having a bad time through dry weather the wool practically stops growing, but shoots up quickly when rain comes, in most cases leaving a “break” or tender part, in the staple of the wool. Carbonising.—The removal of burrs from wool by the immersion in a weak solution of sulphuric acid.< Cast Sort.—A lot of wool consisting of odd fleeces and sorts that cannot be made* into lines because of the small quantity of each.

Canary Stain.—A light yellow stain found in some wools which cannot be washed out. Character.—Term used to define well-grown wools that possess a very even crimp. Clothing Wool.—Meaning a short Merino wool. A few years back this wool could not be Combed economically, but it is now combed as easily as the longer wool. Combing Wool. —Wool having a staple not less than Hin. for Merino, and 2iin. for crossbred. Condition. —Referring to the state of the wool. Wool containing a lot of yolk and foreign matter is called heavy-condi-tioned, while light and bright wools are * called light-condi-tioned.

Cotted Wool. —Crossbred wool frequently becomes cotted through fibres felting together and has to be torn apart by machinery. Merino wool seldom becomes cotted, except portion of the neck wool, and that under the jaws of the sheep. Dingy.—Yellow and discoloured wool, usually very heavy in condition.

Draft. —Wool buyers are allowed 11b. “draft,” or allowance by brokers in every hundredweight of wool they purchase. One of the processes in the reducing of tops to- spun yarns is also called “draft.” Fribby.—Short locky pieces of wool such as second cuts and small black yolky locks from the crutch and under the forelegs of the sheep. Gummy.—A description given to scoured wool with a large quantity of the yolk left in it. Mushy Wool.—Wool without any regular staple. The fleece spider’s web, usually from old sheep in bad seasons. Mushy wool would give a poor return of top and a large quantity of noil. Noil.—Consists of all short and broken fibres removed from the wool during the combing process. Shafty Wool.—Term used to define a well-grown, bold-stapled wool. Staple.—Small bunch of wool fibres which hang together; wool grows in staples. Star Lot. —Small lots of wool consisting of four bales and under. Star lots are sold in a different room from other lots, so that large buyers are not kept

waiting while small lots are sold.

Tare.—Allowance made to buyer tb compensate him for weight of wool-packs. The buyer pays for the net weight of the wool only, less “draft.” Tender.—Description given to wool that will break at a certain Dart of the fibres when subjected to any light strain. Tender wools give a larger percentage of noil than sound wools.

Tops.—Consisting of partially manufactured wool, which has been scoured and then combed, the combing resulting in top and noil, the former consisting of‘all the long straightened-out fibres suitable for worsted yarns. Yield. —Meaning the yield or quantity of clean scoured wool or top returned after scouring and the removal of all impurities. Yolk.—The name given to the grease or natural fat contained in raw or greasy wool.