e first treatment raw wool is subjected to, and if it
is not performed in an efficient manner, gives rise to serious
subsequent troubles to manufacturer, dyer, and finisher.

The object of scouring wool is to remove the wool-fat and wool
perspiration (exuded from the skin of sheep), consisting of cholesterol
and isocholesterol, and potassium salts of fatty acids, together with
other salts, such as sulphates, chlorides, and phosphates. This is
effected by washing in a warm dilute soap solution, containing in the
case of low quality wool, a little carbonate of soda; the fatty matter
is thereby emulsified and easily removed.

Soap, to be suitable for the purpose, must be free from uncombined
caustic alkali, unsaponified fat, silicates, and rosin.

Wool can be dissolved in a moderately dilute solution of caustic soda,
and the presence of this latter in soap, even in small quantities, is
therefore liable to injure the fibres and make the resultant fabric
possess a harsh "feel," and be devoid of lustre.

Unsaponified fat denotes badly made soap--besides reducing the
emulsifying power of the liberated alkali, this fat may be absorbed by
the fibres and not only induce rancidity but also cause trouble in
dyeing.

Soaps containing silicates may have a deleterious action upon the
fibres, causing them to become damaged and broken.

By general consent soaps containing rosin are unsuitable for use by
woollen manufacturers, as they produce sticky insoluble lime and
magnesia compounds which are deposited upon the fibres, and give rise to
unevenness in the dyeing.

A neutral olive-oil soft soap is undoubtedly the best for the purpose of
wool scouring, as, owing to its ready solubility in water, it quickly
penetrates the fibres, is easily washed out, and produces a good "feel"
so essential in the best goods, and tends to preserve the lustre and
pliability of the fibre.

The high price of olive-oil soap, however, renders its use prohibitive
for lower class goods, and in such cases no better soap can be suggested
than the old-fashioned curd mottled or curd soaps (boiled very dry), as
free as possible from uncombined caustic alkali. The raw wool, after
this cleansing operation, is oiled with olive oil or oleine, prior to
spinning; after spinning and weaving, the fabric, in the form of yarn or
cloth, has to be scoured to free it from oil. The soap in most general
use for scouring woollen fabrics is neutral oleine-soda soap. Some
ma