474 Transactions of the 



head, the common plan is for each hand to take part of a hank of twine, 

 in which the number of pieces is known; then, as each shears his sheep, 

 he rapidly rolls up the fleece, tics it, and throws it into the pen for 

 wool. At the close of the day he counts the remaining strings, and 

 says he has shorn so many sheep. This is a bad method. Human 

 nature is frail, and sometimes a shearer gets two strings into one fleece; 

 again, he forgets his tally, and guesses enough to make himself safe; 

 too often, I lament to relate, he lies outright. Now, although you know 

 the total number shorn, it becomes disagreeable to adjust the matter if 

 the guilty one holds out; and, if you refuse to pay, as you have a right 

 to do, for the shearing of more sheep than you actually own, the inno- 

 cent hand may suffer. But with a hand to tie up the wool, who is pro - 

 vided with tickets, or marked checks, no mistakes need occur, for each 

 man, as he delivers his wool on the table, is given one of the checks, 

 and on returning them at night is credited with his proper number. 



Besides keeping the shearing account, this man can, by properly tying 

 up the wool, render it much more attractive to the purchaser. Upon 

 receiving the fleece, he will turn it with the flesh side down, pick off all 

 foul stuff, straw, etc., and roll it up. In doing this it will be borne in 

 mind that the best wool, all things considered, is on and about the 

 shoulders. Boll in all the ragged corners. Place the wool from the 

 belly and all clean tags in the center. Now continue rolling toward the 

 center, or what is the same thing, doubling in, until the fleece attains an 

 oblong form about as wide as .you desire the rolled fleece to be. Now 

 begin at the tail end and roll it up, at the same time doubling back 

 enough from the head end so that when the roll is closed the fleece shall 

 he "all shoulders." Boll moderately tight, taking care, if you have high 

 grade merinos, not to roll too tight, so that the fleece looks and feels 

 like a bullet. Tie the fleece sufficiently to keep it in place as rolled, but 

 not too tight, taking care that it shall always have that indescribable 

 look termed " lofty." 



POINTS. 



See that all tags, no matter how dirt}', are picked up and put by them- 

 selves by each shearer after he finishes shearing his sheep, and before 

 he catches another; if this be not done, they are soon knocked about 

 and lost. 



Each morning only so many sheep as are needed up to noon should be 

 parted out with the chute for the shearers. At noon do the same for 

 the afternoon's work. Never have a large lot left on hand at night, for 

 if you continue to do so throughout shearing, which your shearers will 

 assure you is the best way, you will find that towards the end all the 

 hardest shearing sheep, and any scabby ones, will be on hand, as the 

 men will have shunned them as long as the}' could. This way, a sheep 

 that is "free to go through the chute may be parted out day after day, 

 and kept without much feed all through shearing. Besides, by parting 

 out the required number twice a day, the balance of the flock gets more 

 time to feed, and a full sheep is much the easier to shear. 



The breeder of fine sheep will always be on hand at shearing, or have 

 some one on whom he can depend, to take items of the sheep's shearing 

 and note such as are worth pieserving, in a register kept for this pur- 

 pose. The fleeces may be marked for after inspection, but this is apt to 

 be gone over too rapidly, so it is best for the owner to be present. This 

 is perhaps the only occasion during the year that presents a perfect 

 chance to form an opinion of the sheep's most important qualifications. 



