FOR SHOW RING AND MARKET. 135 



The Shearing of Stud Flocks. 



One of the most important items connected with the man- 

 agement of stud flocks, and one which is too often ignored 

 by shepherds and .flockmasters alike, is that of skillful and 

 artistic shearing. To add beauty and luster to a flock means 

 a substantial addition to the exchequer. What detracts more 

 from the beauty of a fine stud flock, or pains the heart of the 

 expert shepherd more than that of unartistic, unsystematic 

 shearing? In the shearing of our fine stud flocks, there 

 should be among us an established style, or system, as there 

 is in the old country among the great flockmasters, who are 

 as particular and conservative in regard to the style in which 

 their sheep are shorn as is the American in regard to how his 

 lawn is mown. A sheep having passed through the hands 

 of an adept in the art of shearing, is usually as one having 

 been turned out of a mould, or shorn after a prepared pat- 

 tern it is, indeed, "a thing of beauty," as compared to that 

 having passed through the hands of one having no taste, no 

 style, or system in his work. 



As before mentioned, old country flockmasters are invaria- 

 bly most particular in regard to the manner in which their 

 flocks are shorn. They insist upon style, method and system; 

 every animal must be a counterpart of each other as regard 

 the correctness and disposition of the lines and curves made 

 by the shears during the process of shearing. Every line 

 must be parallel to each other, or there is "kicking." The 

 shearers' motto is "not how many, but how good." Shearers 

 who shirk or wander from this text usually find, like Othello, 

 their occupation gone. To cut and slash, promiscuously, 

 here, there and everywhere in the endeavor to remove the 

 fleece as rapidly as possible receives no countenance in the 



