SHEEP. 323 



shearing; therefore if a farmer wishes to know whether his sheep are well sheared, he should 

 not only look at the sheep to see if it be smoothly shorn, but also at the inside of the fleece 

 to see if there are any short pieces of wool, caused by severing the staple, as a sheep may be 

 smoothly shorn and the fleece badly injured in this manner. Wool buyers are very particu 

 lar about the latter, since an occasional severing of the fibre is a great damage to the quality 

 of the wool. 



Sheep should be sheared in a warm, bright day, and never in damp or chilly weather. 

 The practice of many farmers of waiting for a rainy day, that cannot be appropriated to any 

 other farm work, is a pernicious one, as the sudden change of removing so warm a covering 

 from the bodies of the animals is a very great change to them, even in warm weather, and 

 often results in their taking cold. 



When the work is performed by hand, the operator should be provided with a good 

 sharp pair of shears and the means of sharpening them, as dull tools in this business are a 

 great hindrance, and involve not only loss of time, but work imperfectly performed. Some 

 shearers prefer to work upon a barn floor, laying the sheep down and taking a position 

 beside it. resting on the right knee, while others prefer a bench from twelve to eighteen 

 inches high, on which the sheep is laid, the shearer standing beside it; in both instances the 

 left knee braces the body and supports the sheep in the several positions that are necessary 

 for convenience in shearing. 



Some prefer the bench on which the sheep are placed in shearing considerably higher 

 than the above mentioned. The bench should be perfectly smooth to prevent any injury to 

 the fleece or sheep, the barn floor to be kept as free from dust, straw, or other accumulations 

 as possible, cleanliness in wool, and freedom from all foreign substances affecting its quality. 

 The shearer should possess patience and ingenuity, a steady hand, and a determination to do 

 honest work, which, combined with a little practice, will soon result in the acquisition of con 

 siderable skill in the art. It is hard labor for both shearer and sheep, especially the latter, 

 and both should have as comfortable a position as possible. Unless the position of the sheep 

 be easy, it will cause much trouble by struggling, besides injuring the appearance of the 

 fleece. 



The wool should be cut rather close, taking great care not to cut the skin or teats. 

 When the skin is once cut it often requires a long time to heal. When such an accident 

 occurs, the wound should be completely covered with tar, to prevent the maggot fly from 

 depositing its eggs in it. 



There are various methods of shearing. Some place the sheep on the left side and begin 

 by cutting all the tags off, which are put in a basket one side, that they may not be mixed 

 with the wool. Placing the shears near the right flank, pointed towards the fore legs, they 

 shear first the belly of the animal; then placing the sheep on its rump, with feet projecting 

 outward and head bent over the shearer s left knee, shear the neck, head, and legs; afterwards 

 the sides, letting the fleece roll off at the rump. Others prefer to open the fleece at the neck, 

 shearing the belly and legs with the sheep in position on its rump, and afterwards shear the 

 sides and back of the animal. 



Others still set the sheep on its rump and shear the neck and fore shoulders ; then lay it 

 upon one side, and when the upper side is sheared, turn the animal over and take the wool 

 from the other. In cutting, the hand should be kept well away from the body of the animal, 

 so as to bring the point of the shears near the skin, and never take but one cut at the same 

 length of fibre; if two cuts are taken, the fibre is injured. The main fleece should always 

 be taken off whole, and if the sheep is gently and carefully handled, combined with skill in 

 using the shears, it will come off in this manner. 



The wool from the belly and portions from the head and neck with trimmings from the 

 flanks and legs are separate, and are usually rolled up inside the fleece in packing it, though 



