Investigations with Sheep. 



491 



The trial began in November, lasting thirteen weeks. Both lota 

 \rere kept in a bam, the window in the pen containing unshorn 

 lambs being kept open, while that in the pen of the shorn lambs 

 was kept closed. In spite of this care the shorn lambs suffered 

 from the cold. The result of the trial is tabulated below: 

 Feeding shorn and unshorn lambs — Michigan Station. 



The shorn lambs ate more food, drank less water and made 30 

 per cent, less gain than the unshorn lambs. 



At the Wisconsin Station, ^ Craig studied the subject during 

 four years, the first trial beginning in December, and subsequent 

 ones earlier, the last two beginning in October. As with Mum- 

 ford, Craig's results were unfavorable to shearing fattening lambs 

 after winter begun, while they favored early shearing. His con- 

 clusions are: 



'' 1. Fall shearing is a beneficial practice to prepare lambs that 

 are six months old for the early winter market. 



*'2. To secure the benefits of fall shearing it should be done 

 early in the season, at least not later than October. 



''3. When done under such circumstances, the removal of the 

 fleece hastens the fatt/ening, and the gain is made at a slightly 

 cheaper rate. 



'^4. The results show that by shearing in the fall and again in 

 the spring more wool is obtained than from a single spring 

 shearing, but the market value of the two clippings is not any 

 greater than tliat of the single clipping in which the fibeis of the 

 fleece are longer. 



''5. When the lambs are to be fattened during three or four of 

 the winter months, there appears to be no practical advantage in 

 fall shearing," 



« Kept. 1894. 



