EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 217 



For several years, in a majority of instances, the Eastern wool markets have been 

 better in April than in June. Tliis would give the grower, who makes a practice of 

 early spring shearing, a slight advantage as to markets. 



SHEARING SHEEP. 



The best job of shearing is that which secures the largest amount of wool in the best 

 condition for market without injury to the sheep. It is highly desirable that the sheep 

 be closely shorn and that there should be no second cuts. The fleece should be kept 

 intact, not torn apart, and the skin of the sheep should not be wounded. 



Nearly all of the sheep east of the Mississippi river are shorn by hand, while many 

 in the west and on the ranges are shorn by machines. 



Thinking that many of our readers would be interested in the practical workings of 

 the shearing machine for small flocks we addressed several questions to men who have 

 used the shearing machines and are competent to speak of the advisability of their 

 general adoption on ^Michigan farms. We are indebted to the following gentlemen for 

 replies : 



1, John MacQueen. Kirkland, 111.; 2, J. E. Wing, Mechanicsburg, Ohio, and 3, Coff- 

 land & Lybrand, Richland Center, Wis. 



The questions and answers follow: 



1st. Would yon ailvise .1 man owning' fifty to one linudred sheep to have any- 

 thing' to do with any make of shearing machine] 



Answer by No. 1. — I would not advise anyone to buy a machine for fifty or one 

 hundred sheep. 



Answer by No. 2. — Wait. Some day they will be practical. 



Answer by No. 3. — We would not advise a man owning fifty to one hundred sheep 

 to purchase a sheep shearing machine for these reasons: The expense is greater than 

 with shears, two men not being able to shear more than one man can with shears. 

 They are almost continually out of repair. Knives are very easy to dull, and in order 

 to sharpen them have to be forwarded to the factory. 



2d. What are the advantages to be gained by nsing a sheep shearing machine! 



Answer by No. 1. — The advantages of using a sheep shearing machine are that one 

 gets from three-quarters to one pound of wool more from each sheep and leaves them 

 nice and smooth, fit to put on the market in one-half the time hand sheared sheep are. 

 Also, that one can get inexperienced men to run machines when practical men cannot 

 be found, which is often the case. 



Answer by No. 2. — They do far better work. Don't cut the sheep. Take off the wool 

 smoothly. 



Answer by No. 3. — The advantages to be igained are that they leave the carcass in 

 nice even shape and do very little cutting. The fleece is also in good shape, no double 

 cutting to speak of. 



3d. What are tlie disadvantages? 



Answer by No. 1. — There are no disadvantages in using sheep shearing machines — 

 in fact, I would not be without them for twice their cost. 



Answer by No. 2. — Leave the sheep exposed to flies. Also they get dull and you can- 

 not sliarpen the knives, mv.st send to factory. 



Answer by No. 3. — The disadvantages are as described above. 



Another party, who did not care to have his name used, stated that, in his experience, 

 he had found that he could get from one-half to nearly a pound more wool per sheep 

 with machine shearing than with hand shearing. ■'It depends considerably upon the 

 kind of sheep you are slu^aring. With tlie heavier pelted and wrinkled sheep we can 

 take oil' considerably more tlian with the coarse wooled. This extra wool would about 

 pay for the shearing in ordinary cases. There are no disadvantages in using the 

 machines. It heljis the a]q)earance of the sheep, and, in my experience. I have found 

 nothing detrinuMital in their use. It is only a matter of the machine's being used 

 properly by the operator. Should it not be properly handled the chances are that the 

 wool would be cut twice, the same as it is in hand shearing." 



We submit a cut below which exihibits a remarkable good job of hand shearing. 

 The wool is closely clipped, leaving a smooth, even surface. 



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