The sorter, taking a fleece, unrolls it upon his bench, and proceeds to separate it into the required qualities, depositing the different portions in baskets placed beside him for its reception. These baskets vary in number from 6 to 12, or sometimes more, according to the description of the fleece, or the requirements of the manufa,cturer. Short-wool fleeces, those consumed in the woollen trade, are usually distributed into ten parcels. The " picklock " is the highest quality obtained, and a fleece only yields a very small portion of this quality. The "prime " is the next best, and but slightly inferior to the preceding. Next follow the " choice" and the " super," both very good wools, but inferior to the previous selections. The bulk of the best fleeces are composed of these two classes. The succeeding division is termed the " head " wool, which probably indicates that it is the best of the second or inferior division of the fleece. The contents of the next basket are termed " downrights," a good useful wool, which is followed by the " seconds," the best of the wool from the throat and breast. The next is called the " alb," which is the eighth quality. The ninth is the "livery," and is composed of the skirtings and edgings ; the tenth is the " short coarse" or " breech wool," that which comes from the breech of the animal.
These divisions are to some extent arbitrary, and differ according to the requirements of the manufacturer. Fig. 1441 shows the fleece divided into thirteen qualities :—Nos. 1 and 2, the shoulders and sides, always yield the best wool, being long, even, and soft, and the best grown wool of the fleece ; the 3rd quality, that on both sides of the neck, is usually a little inferior to the preceding ; the 4th, that on the loin and back, diminishes both in length and fineness from the preceding ; the upper part of the hind legs yields the 5th quality, the wool iu this locality beginning to hang considerably ; the upper parts of the neck yield two qualities (6 and 7), both inferior in staple and occasionally faulty ; at the root of the tail (8), the wool is more glossy, but coarse ; No. 9 is the lower part of the leg, where the grease in the wool is dark in colour, and the staple is more twisted ; on the throat (10), there is a great diniinution of quality from that of some of the first numbers, the fineness, softness, and curl of the wool having nearly all disappeared, and " kemps" or hairs becoming frequent ; the wool of the head (11) is coarse, often harsh, short, glossy, and sometimes dirty ; on the lower part of the throat and chest (12), the yield is similar to No. 10, bnt often shorter, through friction against fences and bare ; that from the shins (13) is short, glossy, and coarse, and nearly always very dirty.
In addition to these, which may be termed permanent qualities of the fleece, there are modifications that arise in flocks, or indi viduals, the result of differences in the quantity and quality of food and water acces sible during growth ; or are due to disease or EL low condition from other causes. These will occasionally obliterate to a certain extent what may he called the permanent lines of qualities, the whole as a rule suffering degra dation. When this occurs in an individual fleeee, the sorter may be trusted to keep matters right by the manner in which he will distribute the parts, but when the parcel is faulty in these respects, it must of necessity be put aside for inferior.purposes. The rapidity and skill which the sorter displays in the discrimination of the different qualities of a fleece, is a matter of astonishment to the cursory observer.
Washing and Scouring.—The cleansing processes of washing, scouring, and rinsieg succeed the operation of sorting. Various methods of cleansing the wool are pursued in different countries, and in different oireumstances. Sometimes the wool is first treated to a bath of cold or tepid clean water, for the purpose of removing all earthy matter, and the soluble portions of the yolk. This is sueceeded by the scour, in which the wool undergoes a wash in a bath consisting of water heated to 49°-66° (120°-150° F.) or higher according to requirement. This dissolves the natural grease and suint, which form so large a percentage of the weight of the wool, and releases the remaining earthy matter adherent to the grease, and which had resisted the previous process of cleansing. Ia an examination of the merino fleece, Chevreul found that the raw wool of that breed of sheep consisted of :—Earthy matters, 26.06 ; mint, 32.74; grease, 8.57 ; earthy matter fixed by the grease, 1.40 ; clean wool, 31.23. The proportion of clean wool yielded by other descriptions varies from 25 to 40 per cent., and sometimes rather more ; but as a rule, it may be accepted that the processes of washing and scouring will reduoe the raw weight by about two-thirde. It is obvious that the removal of this large proportion of the weight will require to be performed with care, in order not to injure the olean fibre, by making it hard or harsh, or causing it to shrink, and thereby injuring its felting properties. This care must be exercised in the selection of the most suitable detergent for forming the scouring bath, the preservation of a proper temperature during the passage of the wool, and the prevention of too sudden a transition from the warm scour bath to the cold rinsing or clearing bath, should cold water instead of tepid be employed in the latter.