V 



148 SHEEP I BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



convenience) is tub-washing in cold water." Between such 

 a method and the ordinary system of pool washing there 

 is no wide divergence, and hence there does not appear to 

 be any urgent necessity for changing a system which has 

 been found to work fairly well. At the same time, if tub- 

 washing could be substituted for pool-washing, there is the 

 advantage of the presence of the yolk, which is a true and 

 natural soap, and therefore well calculated to assist in the 

 thorough cleansing of the wool. The following manner has, 

 in fact, been found satisfactory, and might be adopted when 

 circumstances are favourable to its use : " Having two tanks, 

 each capable of holding, say, five sheep, let the sheep be 

 placed in tank number one and washed in the usual manner ; 

 then let them be plunged in the second tank, which must 

 be kept constantly supplied with clear water. It should 

 be remembered that the first tank should be kept as greasy 

 as possible, only as much water being added as the sheep 

 take out with them. The yolk is a kind of natural soap, 

 and is quite sufficient to wash the sheep properly if ad- 

 vantage is taken of it." This system has the advantage 

 of great simplicity, and is really only a modification of the 

 usual practice. Given a good water supply, all that is 

 needed is to deflect a stream so as to give a sufficient supply 

 of water to both tanks or sets of tanks. For example, the 

 stream would supply a regulated amount of water for keeping 

 up the level of the washing water, while a continuous flood 

 could be easily maintained through the lower or second series 

 of tanks. The sheep, after being washed thoroughly in the 

 upper tank, would be handed on for a plunge or swim in the 

 lower tanks, and be allowed to land and shake themselves. 

 Such a system will commend itself to practical men as 

 feasible, and might be at once adopted without much outlay. 

 There is indeed no reason why one set of tanks only should 

 be constructed for washing, and that the sheep should then 

 be thrown from the greasy water into the burn or brook, and 

 allowed to swim out. 



