PRODUCING SOUND WOOL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3117, 10 December 1913, Page 14

PRODUCING SOUND WOOL.

Under tho microscope the wool of sheep shows a finely-serrated structure resembling a pine cone on a small scale. All the serrations point outwards and upwards from root to tip. The finer the wool the greater the number of serrations to the inch. Thus, merino wool may have 2400, while in Cheviot wool the number is reduced to 1440. It differs from hair or fur, which is straight and stiff, in being curly, crimpy, or wavy, and very flexible or elastic. At the root of the fibre and beneath the skin there are small glands, blood-vessels, and cells, which play an important part in the growth and support of the skin and wool fibre. In a healthy sheep they excrete an oily substance called the yolk, which covers and encases the length of the fibre to a considerable thickness, and serves to protect it from injury, and keep it healthy, vigorous, elastic, and strong. When anything happens to affect the health of the sheep, such as temporary starvation or a chill, the fibre is deprived of its protection, and does not grow as well as it should. Hence at shearing-time it is not of uniform thickness from root to point, and on being stretched lengthwise may be easily broken. Any distress or radical change to which the sheep may be subject is at once responded to by a decreased exudation of yolk, and the fibre suffers in consequence, first in the way of dead tips, then as stated in tender, frowsy wool. It will therefore be gathered that wool is really a development of the skin, and anything which affects the health of the skin will also affect the growth of the wool. Tho importance of keeping the skin clean and healthy by effective dipping will therefore be apparent. The only way, except for staining the wool by careless mixing, a dip can benefit or injure the wool is through the skin indirectly. Given pure blood and a healthy skin kept clean and free from irritation by ticks and lice, and the best conditions exist for the continuous growth of wool. When the end of the staple is not pointed and as bright as the root there will be no dead wool—no waste, —all the fibres will be the same length, and the entire staple strong and well grown. The mill machinery can then deal with it profitably. A good fleece has also great softness to the feel, which does not depend on fineness of the fibre, as one would think, but upon a delicate elasticity which yields to the touch at once and quickly recovers its form. There should be no short hairs or kemp or hairs of any kind in wool. With all these properties it follows that the flock-owner who breeds sheep having fleeces with pointy staples, thinly set on and of unequal lengths, who stints his sheep of food at times, producing fibre of unequal size and strength, and who neglects to dip them effectively, injures his clip of wool to a serious extent. When a tussock sheep has abundance of range and no scarcity at any time of the year, witli sufficient water, it grows wool of strong fibre from the root to the tip with a staple of even length; or when a dry sheep is keptprogressing on food of various kinds thoughtfully provided on the farm without any setback or period of scarcity, it fattens as well as produces a valuable fleece ; but with farm ewes which are flushed for service, breed lambs, and sustain the drain of one or two lambs for some months, it is often difficult to grow a fleece with which the manufacturer can pick little fault. Those who make special provision for times of stress can manage to do so, but those who neglect to do so will have a break and depreciation in their wool.