SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 185 



straw, and fresh straw thrown on occasionally, to keep the sheep clean 

 while shearing. No chaff, or other substances which will stick in the wool, 

 should be used for this purpose. When the dew has dried off from the; 

 sheep, on the morning chosen for shearing, a portion of the flock sufficient 

 to last the shearers half a day, is driven into the outside yard, and a con- 

 venient number into the bay (1). An assistant catches the sheep, lifts 

 them off from the floor as already directed, and delivers them at the door 

 through the " breastwork " (3) to each shearer. The shearer before taking 

 the sheep, picks off any loose straws sticking to its wool, and if dung ad- 

 heres to any of the feet, brushes it off with a little besom formed of twigs, 

 hung up near the door for that purpose. The shearer then takes the sheep 

 to his stand, and commences shearing. 



The floor or tables used for shearing should be planed or worn perfectly 

 smooth, so that they will not hold dirt or catch the wool. They all should 

 '"6 thoroughly cleaned, and^ if necessary, washed, preparatory to shearing. 

 It is the catcher's business to keep the floor constantly swept, dung re- 

 moved, &c. Having a new stand or place swept for the shearer who has 

 iust finished his sheep, he catches him another, and then clears up the 

 stand previously occupied. He first lifts the fleece, gathers it up so that 

 It shall not be torn or drawn asunder, and turning his arms so as to invert 

 it, (i. e. y bring the roots of the wool downward,) deposits it on \he folding- 

 table (4). ] le then picks up the "fribs" (small loose locks) left on the 

 floor, which are deposited in a basket or on a corner of the table. Lastly, 

 he sweeps the spot clean, to be again occupied by the shearer. An active 

 fellow will tend four shearers, and do up the fleeces. But he should not 

 be hurried too much, or he cannot give sufficient time to doing up. A 

 small boy or two are handy to pick up fribs, sweep, &c. 



If there are any sheep in the pen dirty from purging or other causes, 

 they should first be caught out, to prevent them from dirtying the others. 



It is difficult, if not impossible, to give intelligible practical instructions 

 which would guide an entire novice in skillfully shearing a sheep. Prac- 

 tice is requisite. The following directions from the American Shepherd,* 

 are correct, and are as plain, perhaps, as they can be made : 



" The shearer may place the sheep on that part of the floor assigned to him, resting on its 

 rump, and himselt in a posture with one (his right) knee on a cushion, and the back of the ani- 

 mal resting against his left thigh. He grasps the shears about half-way from the^oint to the 

 how, resting his thumb along the blade, which affords him better command of the points. 

 He may then commence cutting the wool at the brisket, and proceeding downward, all upon 

 the sides of the belly to the extremity of the rib.s, the external sides of both thighs to the 

 edges of the flanks ; then back to the brisket, and thence upward, shearing the wool from tho 

 oreast, front, and both sides of the neck but not yet the back of it and also the poll or 

 Tore part, and top of the head. Now the 'jacket is opened ' of the sheep, and its position 

 and that of the shearer is changed, by being turned flat upon its side, one knee of the shearer 

 resting on the cushion, and the other gently pressing the fore quarter of the animal, to pn> 

 vent any struggling. He then resumes cutting upon the flank and rump, and thence on- 

 ward to the head. Thus one side is complete. The sheep is then turned on to the other 

 side, in doing which great care is requisite to prevent the fleece from being torn, and the 

 shearer acts as upon the other, which finishes. He must then take his sheep near to the 

 door through which it is to pass out, and neatly trim the legs, and leave not a solitary loci' 

 anywhere as a harbor for ticks. It is absolutely necessary for him to remove from his stand 

 to trim, otherwise the useless stuff from the legs becomes intermingled with the fleece-wool. 

 In the use of the shears, let the blades be laid as flat to the skin as possible, not lower the 

 points too much, nor cut more than from one to two inches at a clip, frequently not so much, 

 depending on the part and compactness of the wool." 



In addition to the above, I would remark that the wool should be cut 

 off as close as conveniently practicable, and even. It maybe cut too close, 

 BO that the sheep can scarcely avoid " sun-scaH," but this is very unusual 



- Pages 179, 180. 



2 A 



