VALUATION OF WOOLS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2009, 25 August 1892, Page 6

VALUATION OF WOOLS.

Of course raw wools contain much dirfc, grease, &c, the quantity of which varies in different kinds of wool, and even in wools from the same district. Woolgrowers anxious to determine for themselves tho percentage of impurities in tho clips for tho season are advised to act on the following advice. Tho Textile Mercury, London, says :— " The best plan to obtain some idea of the actual quantity of wool fibre is to take lib of the raw wool and immerse it in a weak alkali bath, made from Alb of soda crystals dissolved in 4gal of water. Work the wool m this at a temperature of from 150deR to lOOdeg Fahr., then boil in clean water once or twice to free it from all impurities. The washed wool is then allowed to dry in a warm room— which operation will take a few days— and when dry it is weighed, but previous to weighing, if thought necessary, ifc may further be dried at 100 C., when the actual amount of wool fibre is then ascertained."

Tho following table given in the Moniteur Swentifique, shows the wide range in the actual value of wools, so far as quantity of fibro is concerned : —

Loss Wool Additional Actual , Dried in Loss at Wool the Air. 100 C. Fibre. ... , le ' c ont. Percent. Percent* Algerian wool ... 5360 465 41 -S5 Spanish— (fine merino) 87 02 428 3870 (superfine)... 6300 3*lo 3390 Russian 08-20 350 28"M Australian ... 5380 s'lo 4riO Hungarian ... 31-60 779 6061 Wurtemburg ... 2140 B'BB 69-80 Naples > 28*10 646 65"44 Africa 6176 359 3465 Turkey 48-36 392 4772 In reference to the results shown in the table* it is scarcely necessary to remind woolgrowers that besides actual quantity of wool fibre, there are other important factors in the valuation of wool taken into account, such as length of staple, and whether the fibre is fine or coarse, brittle or elastic, &c.