HOW TO JUDGE WOOL.

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 26, 22 September 1894, Page 10

HOW TO JUDGE WOOL.

The finest and softest wool is always on the shoulders of the sheep. An expert in judging sheep always looks at the wool on the shoulders first. A writer of experience in rearing fine-woolled sheep and in handling wool gives the following suggestions for selecting a good woolled sheep ; Always assuming that the wool to he inspected is really fine, we first examine the shoulders as a part where the finest wool is to be found. This we take as a standard, and compare it with the wool from the ribs, the thigh, the rump and the shoulder parts, and the nearer the wool from the various portions of the animal approaches the standard the better. "First, we scrutinize the fineness, „and if the result is satisfactory we pronounce the fleece in respect tofineness ‘ even.’ Next, we scrutinise the length of the staple, and if we find that the wool on the ribs, thigh, and back approximates reasonably in length to that of our standard we again declare the fleece, as regards length and staple, ‘ true and even.’ We next satisfy ourselves as to the density of the fleece and we do this by closing the hands on a portion of the rump and loin wool, these points being usually the thinnest and most faulty. If this again gives satisfaction we designate all the wool * even as to density.’ Now, to summarise these separate examinations : If the fleece is nearly of equal length on shoulder, rib, and back and density on shoulder and across the loins, we conclude that we have a perfect sheep for producing valuable wool.—Sydney Town and Country Journal.