SCOURED v. GREASY WOOL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2360, 18 May 1899, Page 4

SCOURED v. GREASY WOOL.

In a second letter, the Bradford correspondent of the S. A. Register supplies cogent reasons why the scouring of wools, especially those of a wasty character, should be more generally practised in these colonies. He expects to be told by some readers of his letters that no Australianscoured wool is done -well enough for English and Continental manufacturers; but that on its arrival at Yorkshire and other mills every bale has to be re-scoured. This is stating the very opposite to what is actually the case. "He could name a score of mills within a radius of seven miles of Bradford engaged in the woollen trade, where, ii a white yarn, is wanted, or white wool is required for mixing purposes, such a wool is taken straight from the bale of scoured as it comes in from London, and is ' willeyed ' straight away ; this willeyiog process loosening all the fibres, and preparing it for other operations in cloth manufacture. There are mills in Yorkshire, and hundreds of manufacturers in the districts of Yeaden, Leeds, Batley, Osset, Dewsbury, right up the Colne Valley, together with a large number of flannel manufacturers in Lancashire, who never think of scouring wool, and who only do it when they want to dye ifc into shades. I state this from actual experience with buyers in these markets, and, moreover, every woollen manufacturer knows that a colonial-scoured wool will produce a better, more bright, and smarter shade than if such wool is here scoured out of greasy and then dyed." Some South Australian growers have scoured their wool, and have complained that the returns have been behind part of the same clip sold in the grease; when such has been the result, such scoured wool has been faulty somewhere, and their experience is the very opposite of other Australians. In this connection, reference is made to the practice at this time adopted by a very large percentage of Queensland growers located in Warrego, Mitchell, Bourke, and the north-east -corner of Gregory North. In these districts there are some very large sheep runs, and some good clips are grown, but the wool is more or less earthy and wasty in character. Now, what are these Queensland pastoralists doing to-day? — scouring about 75 per cent, of their clips and doing it thoroughly. Here is the secret of success. The Bradford correspondent proceeds to say : '* Judging by the very large quantity of Queensland new cliji wools which have been sold during the last two series, scouring is becoming very general. Having occasion to notice very particularly Queensland wools, 1 observed that several brands from that colony were marketed, say, half in the ~_«ase and the other half scoured. It was

no common thing to see the greasy selling at 7d to Bd, and the same clip selling when scoured at 17d to 18d combing lots, while the pieces seldom fetched less than 16d and the locks 14d. Of course, I simply state these as recent facts; but if South Australian squatters think otherwise, and their experience is of the opposite nature, then by all means sell in the grease; but at the same time I must say emphatically that where a clip is . drought-stricken, earthy, badly grown, and presents altogether an unattractive appearance, then it can be vastly improved by being properly scoured. I feel constrained to say that although I have seen thousands of colonialscoured parcels of wool, yet I must say that generally speaking the woolwashers in South Australia do not do their work equally as well as those of Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and many slipe works in New Zealand. I expect this statement not to go down with many who read this letter, but I might as well state a truth outright as leave any one to infer it. The prices realised hitherto for South Australian scoureds have not been equal nor so high as those of either Victoria or New South Wales. The wool is as wellgrown, I admit; but the work put into it is not of that high-class character one is accustomed to see."

While the scouring process itself must be thorough, the question of drying the wool is of much greater importance than is commonly supposed. This essential the Register's correspondent discusses instructively. Every practical handler of wool, he says, knows that the anticle is very hygroscopic, readily absorbing moisture from the atmosphere, and retaining it with considerable energy. Under average conditions the fibre contains aboxit 14 per cent, of its weight of moisture, but the amount is greatly influenced by the hygrometric condition ot the atmosphere. In addition to surface condensation, the moisture is, in all probability, located actually within the individual cells, since tho membraneous cell-walls are permeable to water. This is no doubt the reason why it is so difficult to drive off the whole of the water, it being impossible, in fact to remove the last portion of the moisture without partial disintegration of the fibre. By drying wool at 120deg. Fahr., a loss in weight of from 7 to 10 per cent, takes place, and on raising the temperature to 212deg. Fahr. a further loss of from sto 8 per cent, occurs. **kfter drying at 120deg. Fahr., the wool will again absorb moisture from the atmosphere up to the original amount, but when dried to 212deg. Fahr., only part of the gloss is regained, showing distinctly that some change has taken place apart from the lois of moisture. This view is supported by the fact that wool heated a long time considerably below 212deg. gradually acquires a yellow colour, becomes lustreess and brittle, is much reduced in tenacity and strength, thus proving that the wool has been injured by being dried at coo great a heat.

Wool dried in the open air will always yield an article of higher quality than can be obtained from the same wool when dried by artificial heat. A case in point was recently brought under notice by a local manufacturer of felt hats, who stated that he could always produce a better quality hat in summer than in winter from the same raw material. Inquiry elicited the fact that it was the practice in these works to dry the hat bodies in the summer by placing them in an open shed, whereas in the winter season they were dried at several stages of the manufacture on gratings placed over the steam boilers. This fact explained the variable result obtained. Although it is inipcrtanl that wool should be dried at as low a temperature as possible, it is of much greater Importance that the fibre should not be submitted to the action of dry heat — that is to say, the drying process should not be continued after the moisture has all been evaporated. In fact, to put it another way, one may say that practically no injury is sustained so long as moisture is being given off, even though under a considerable degree of hekt; but immediately moisture ceases to be evolved, the deterioration above mentioned commences. This suggests a consideration of the methods in vogue for drying wool; but in point of the excellent results accruing from colonial scourers washing their wool and drying it in the open air, it need only be mentioned that no known mechanical process has yet been invented to equal their method. "This naturally leads one to have a final word on the scouring of wools in the colonies. Those of us who are conversant with the textile trade of Yorkshire only can know the value of a good, clean colonial scoured wool. There are manufacturers in this district who will not buy and use anything else than wools scoured abroad, for the simple reason that a better style of goods can be obtained by using such Wools than by using grease wool? — scouring them here, and then drying them with artificial heat. With some a grease wool is preferred because it answers their purpose just as well; but those having a fancy-coloured trade, prefer a colonial scoured wool to a grease wool. Experience has long ago established the fact that where a nice bright light shade is to be dyed, a far better colour is obtained by using a colonial scoured wool than by a wool scoured and dried hi England."