Wool

Chinese wool, an important article of exportation, is derived from sheep, camels, and, an inferior kind, from goats. The camels' wool, IMG:p619_8.png:Chinese characters lo fo mao, is entirely from the Mongolian steppes; it is collected at Kueihua ch'eng (the best), and other marts. It is bought from the Mongols in hard-twisted ropes of about one inch diameter, but is then retwisted into large loose cords of about five inches diameter and wound in bales, which are covered with felt. This wool, which is of fine fibre, is used in the manufacture of cloths of various texture, but especially such as have a heavy nap. Ito finene allows it to be mixed with silk in dre goods. For coarse shawls, blankets, carpets and coarse cloth it is much in favour. The Tientsin carpet, so well-known, is made of this wool. The camels, which are bred for their wool and not used for working, shed their fleeces in spring. The fleece of a full grown camel yields five catties. Inferior wool is obtained from working camels. Camels' wool is of three qualities, of which the best is used in the manufacture of Jaeger's clothing and soft cloths; the second is used for adulterating the best; and the third for making belting for machinery. This last cla of wool has a staple in it and is quite distinct from the first, which can only be used as a mixture with cotton. Tientsin British Consular Report, 1899. Sheeps' wool IMG:p619_9.png:Chinese characters mien yang mao, is also from Mongolia, but the best comes from the Kokonor region and even from Tibet. The article was first noticed in 1£61, when a small lot was exported. In 1882 a foreign agent was sent to Kueihua ch'eng to endeavour to open out the trade, of which Kalgan had until then been the centre; an 620 agency was established there, and in 1883 iran sif erred further west to Paotow on the Yellow River and in 1885 again to Ninghsia. Much of the wool comes from Sining, in the far west of Kansu. The export in 1916 was, Camels' wool, pcJs. 29,783, value Tls. 1,070,827; Sheeps' wool, pels. 334,536, Tls. 10,698,661.