SHEEP. 349 



practice is adopted than where they are confined to the same 

 pasture. 



WASHING SHEEP. In most of that portion of the Union 

 north of 40, the washing is performed from the middle of 

 May till the first of June, according to the season and cli- 

 mate. When the streams are hard, which frequently is the 

 case in lime-stone regions, it is better to do this immediately 

 after an abundant rain, by which the lime derived from the 

 springs is proportionally lessened. The practice of a large 

 majority of our farmers, is to drive their sheep to the wash- 

 ing ground, early in the morning of a warm day, leav- 

 ing the lambs behind. The sheep are confined on the 

 bank of the stream by a temporary enclosure, from which 

 they are taken, and if not too heavy, are carried into water 

 sufficiently deep to prevent their touching bottom. They 

 are then washed by gently squeezing the fleece with the 

 hands, after which they are led ashore, and as much of the 

 water pressed out as possible before letting them go, as the 

 great weight retained in the wool, frequently staggers and 

 throws them down. A good practice is to lead the shef> into 

 the water and saturate the fleece, after which they are taken 

 ashore. When they commence steaming, they are again led 

 into the water, and washed clean. This insures thorough 

 cleansing where the Avater is pure. Others make use of 

 a boat, one end of which rests on a bold shore and the other 

 is in deep water. The operator stands in the boat and 

 plunges the animal over the side where the washing is per- 

 formed ; or it is sometimes done by sinking a tight hogshead 

 or large box in the water, with heavy weights, in which a 

 man stands, and the sheep are brought or led to and from 

 him by another person who walks on a plalform reaching 

 from the bank to the hogshead. Either of the last methods 

 obviates the necessity of standing for a long time in water, 

 by which colds, rheumatism, &c. are frequently contracted. 

 In parts of Germany and sometimes in this country, sheep 

 are forced 1o swim across a narrow stream several times, by 

 which the fleece is tolerably cleaned, if all the water be 

 pressed out when they get to the land. The yolk bping a 

 saponaceous compound, not an oily matter as is generally 

 supposed, it readily combines with the water and passes out 

 of the wool. An excellent practice when streams are not 

 convenient, is to lead a small ripple of soft water into a tub. 

 To this a little soap is added, after which the sheep are im- 

 mersed and thoroughly cleansed. Perfect whiteness and 



