204 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA 



The shearer then, without tying the feet, turns 

 the sheep upon its rump, with its head and shoul- 

 ders resting against him, supported by the left arm 

 and with the shears in the right hand opens the 

 wool, usually on the right shoulder, and proceeds to 

 clip it away, keeping it as much as possible in one 

 piece. That is, he strips it away easily and gently 

 as he would remove a coat. It is essential that he so 

 bend the sheep's body that the skin will be at all 

 times tight. If this is done it is easy to cut the wool 

 closely and there is little danger of cutting the skin. 



When the wool is removed all very dirty pieces 

 should be separated from it and never tied up with 

 the fleece. There is need of honesty in tying wool 

 and nothing but wool should go inside a fleece. The 

 fleece is rolled with the belly and loose ends inside, 

 the cut fibers out. It is tied, not too tightly, with 

 special wool twine wrapped twice or at most three 

 times around. 



The use of binder twine or any but special wool 

 twine greatly injures the wool, as the small bits of 

 fiber get in it and not taking dyes must be picked out 

 by hand. This occasions a loss of sometimes as 

 much as 5 cents per pound which must eventually 

 come from the producer, since manufacturers learn 

 what sort of stuff is to be expected from some re- 

 gions and bid for it accordingly. Some farmers are 

 disposed to overlook such points in marketing their 

 products, but it invariably results in loss, not only 

 to themselves, but frequently to a whole community. 



There is no need of a box or wool table for tying 



