96 



DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



[Chap. I. 



Ic"'. Eest your left arm on the slieep's left flank, while you hold its right 

 hind leg in that hand, stretched out to the edge of the bench, aud holding to 

 it if you wish, if the sheep is disposed to struggle. 



Commence shearing at tlie opening on the left side of the breast, and trim 

 off all the wool on tlie belly and inside of the hind legs, and remove it to 

 one side till the lleece is off, when the trimmings of clean wool are to be 

 wrapped in it. 



To shear the body, place your left leg on tlie bench astride of the sheep, 

 taking the jaws in your left hand, and clipping the foretop and right side 

 of the neck, and down on the left breast. Tlien you change position, step- 

 ping back a little and raising the slieep on its hips, by catching iiold of the 

 left bind leg with your right hand without laying down the shears. Pull 

 the sheep close to the edge of the bench and place your riglit leg between 

 its liind legs, with its neck and shoulders on your left knee, as it rests on the 

 bench. IS'ow clip over the point of the shoulder, and then straighten the 

 neek with your left hand, without stopping the shears, and finish off the 

 brisket and the neck, and then clip on down the side, and over the hip and 

 back, letting the sheep down gradually, so as always to have the skin you 

 are clipping free of wrinkles. Now take your left knee off the neck, and 

 hold it witli your left hand while you remove your right leg and place the 

 left one in its place, so that you can bring the right knee upon the bench, 

 keeping the shears going all the time with the right hand. Then lift the 

 liead with the left hand, and clip that side over the point of the fihoulder, 

 and, raising the sheep gently, bring its head between your legs, while you 

 finish clipping. Take care that the sheep does not struggle, and when done, 

 lift it clear of the fleece, so as not to tear it. Told the fleece with all the loose 

 wool that is clean inside and roll it very snug, with the cut end of the wool 

 out, and tie with cotton twine, so as to look neat and bear handling without 

 getting loose and ragged. 



Following the above directions, you will need to stop but twice for a mo- 

 ment to turn the sheep, so that the shears are almost incessantly clipping 

 from the time you begin till you have finished. 



128. Tasking. — One of the cares of sheep most important for their health 

 and comfort is tagging, and this is most often neglected. Probably the 

 only attention ever given to this matter is at shearing-time, and we have 

 seen, even then, sheep sent off out of the siiearer's hands with the tag-locks 

 untouched. If there is anything in farming more slovenly than this, we 

 don't know what it is. 



129. To Cleanse Fine Wool.— Tliere are a few old-fashioned houses from 

 wliich the spinning-wheel is not yet entirely abandoned. The inmates of 

 such do not always know how to cleanse the gum out of Merino wool before 

 sending it to the carding-machine. Let them be sure to remember this 

 direction, by which we have cleaned many a hundred-weight, some of which 

 waa almost as black as my hat, with dirt and gum, characteristic of all fine- 

 wool sheep. 



