SCRUTINISING WOOL.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 65, 24 November 1875, Page 3

SCRUTINISING WOOL.

The Shoo find Leather Reporter has been giving sheep fanners a valuable lesson on the best way to judge wool on La live sheep. We are told that-—The finest and softest wool is always found on the shoulders of a sheep. But not one

person out of every 1.0,000 is aware of this fact. Let us watch an expert while he is perparing to pass judgment on a sheep concerning the value of the animal for producing wool, and it will be seen that lie always looks at the wool on (he shoulders lirst. A writer of exteiudvc experience in rearing lim-woolled sheep and in handling wool communicates tin 1 following suggestions for select ing a goodwooded sheep:—Always assuming that the wool to be inspected is really a fine wool, we first examine the shoulders at the part where the finest and best wool is usually found. This wo take as the standard, and compare it with the wool from the ribs, .the thigh, the rump, and the shoulder part ; and the nearer the wool from the various portions of the animal approaches the standard the better. First we scrutinize the fineness and if (he result b* se.tisfaetoiy we pronounce the fleece in respect to fineness, very "'even.” Next we enquire into the length of (hi* staple, and if we find that the wool on the ribs, thigh, and hack approximate reasonably in length to that of our standard, we again declare the sheep, as regards the length of staple, true and even. Wo next desire to satisfy ourselves of the density of the fleece, and wc do this by closing the hand-upon a portion of the rump and of the loin wool, the fleece at these, points being usually the thinnest and most faulty ; if this again gives satisfaction we signify the fact by designating the wool “ even “ ns regards density. Now to summarise these separate examinations;—lf you lind the fleece of nearly equal fineness from the shoulder to thigh, of nearly equal length from shoulder, rib, thigh, and back, and density on shoulders and across the loins, you may conclude lit at you have a perfect sheep for producing valuable wool. Selecting sheep for valuable breeders is another thing.