Issued January 10, 1916. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. GROWING AND HANDLING WESTERN WOOLS. The western sheep raiser must always depend largely upon wool for his income. Only a few of the clips sold at the ranch go direct to the mills. Most of the wool passes through eastern warehouses and is graded before selling to the manufacturer. American Wool on Display in the Original Bag. In breeding his sheep and in preparing and selling his .wool the ranchman should understand all those things that affect the price in the final sale at the warehouse. Some of these things are explained in the wool-exhibit car equipped by the Bureau of Animal Industry and exhibited in cooperation with the agri- cultural colleges in the western States. The charts, fleeces, and Norte.—This circular is intended for distribution in connection with the wool-exhibit car equipped by the Bureau of Animal Industry and run in cooperation with the western agri- cultural colleges. 21265°—16 Growing and Handiemoenteee Wools live sheep shown in the car are arranged to show how the value of wool is influenced by— 1. Shrinkage. 2. Grade. 3. Strength. . Character. Preparation. Shrinkage. — —All wools are scoured to remove grease and dirt before manufacturing is begun. The loss in weight in On > ¢ Foreign Wool Skirted, Classed, and Baled, on Display at Boston. scouring varies from 25 to 80 percent. A difference of 5 per'cent in the shrinkages of two lots of wool, when other things are equal, may mean a difference of 4 cents a pound in the grease. Where it is not possible to have a fair sample of a clip scoured as a test, a person’s own judgment of the shrinkage must be depended upon. Only by careful study and experience can the woolgrower learn to estimate closely the shrinkage of wools. Grade.—There are seven main grades of western wools. On the clean or scoured basis the finest grades of wool often bring Page Two p. of De JAN 15 1916 7 a” 2 Growing and Handling Western Wools 15 cents a pound more than coarser grades. The published wool market reports quote western wools by grades. on the scoured basis. In order to make use of these reports the wool- grower must know the shrinkage of his clip and how it grades. The following is the report of the Boston wool market pub- lished December 11, 1915: BOSTON WOOL MARKET. DoMEstTic WOOL. SCOURED WOOL. | OHIO AND PENNSYLVANIA FLEECES. TEXAS. Delaine washed................ . 3532 to— Fine, 12 months. eee aves O67 tOl68 xX . (ou 6. Ugo See eee — t032%4) || Fine; Simonths 7... 252s cece cons 60 to 62 Fine unmerchantable............ 32 to33 Ttheteh tt Dea See Aen Serco 54 to 56 fe ploed. combing... =... 5..050.. 34 tO35 |% blood, combing............... 37. +to38 CALIFORNIA. _% blood, combing............... Si Ome INMOrtM ene eee cn katie ho) eres oe irae 65 to 66 Ya, ¥, % Clothing. ............... 30 t033 Miaddile:catinty. .