192 DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



ing days he will feed as usual. In ten or twelve days the wound will 

 have perfectly healed, and the threads may be cut and taken away. 

 The only thing to be feared is inflammation of the peritoneum, which 

 was divided in the operation; but this rarely occurs, and, on the whole, 

 there is not so much danger in the spaying of the ewe-lamb, as in the 

 castration of the tup. 



Sheep-Washing. — This is best done in vats constructed for the purpose, 

 and where large flocks are to be washed, the expense and care are well 

 repaid. These vats are to be so located as that the waCer can be con- 

 veniently let into them by spouts, and a small stream, dammed up, will 

 answer the purpose. The vat should be about* three and a half feet 

 deep, and of such size as to admit two spouts to flow into it at the upper 

 end, at which two men can wash, while two others can be so employed 

 at its lower end and over which the water flows. The vat should have 

 a gate to draw off" the water as often as fifty sheep are washed. A plat- 

 form should connect the top of the vat with the sheep-yards, of which 

 there should be two, one to contain the unwashed, and the other the 

 washed sheep ; lambs, on account of their liability to accident, should not 

 be driven with the flocks to the washing-pens. The operation of wash- 

 ing is facilitated, and rendered much easier by heavy rains immediately 

 preceding it, and which have thoroughly saturated the fleeces. Sheep 

 are more generally injured while washing than in any other way, and 

 hence, at this time the utmost care is needed in handling them. 



Sheep-Slicariug. — This, in fair weather, may be done in from five to six 

 days after washing. The operation should always be carefully done, 

 and by those only who are experts in the art. This is equally dictated 

 by the true interest of the wool-grower — as by no others can the fleeces 

 be kept and put into proper merchantable shape — and by humanity, as 

 clumsy shearers clip and mutilate, and otherwise often shamefully abuse 

 the uncomplaining sheep. 



Every thing being arranged, a shearer seizes a sheep, and sets it on its 

 rump, and keeps it in this position by resting the back against his own 

 legs. He removes all straws, thorns burs, etc., that may have adhered 

 to the wool. While thus held, the wool is removed from the head and 

 neck as far as the shoulders, and also from the belly, the scrotum, and 

 the edge of the thighs. The head of the animal is then bent down 

 sidewise, and the shearer, placing a leg on each side of the neck of the 

 sheep, pushes out the opposite ribs by pressing his knees gently against 

 the ribs that are nearest to him. He next shears the wool from the far 

 side with his left hand, from the belly to the middle of the back, and as 

 far down as the loins. The sheep is now turned, and the right hand is 

 employed to shear the wool from the near side. The sheep is then laid 

 flat on its side, and kept down by the shearer with his face toward the 

 rump of the sheep, resting his right knee on the ground in front of the 

 neck, and his right toe being brought to the ground a little behind and 

 below the poll ; the head and neck of the sheep are thus confined by his 

 right leg, while he uses his right hand to shear the wool from the hind 

 quarter. In this way the clips of the shears will appear in concentric 

 rings round the body of the sheep. The dirty portions of wool about 

 the tail are then removed by the shears and kept by themselves ; the 



