SHEEP-SKINS 165 



will leave the pelt, while others have a very bad break in the 

 wool. Skins of this class are classed as damaged, and also any 

 skins containing very heavy burr. Dead skins are skins which 

 have been taken off sheep that have died in the paddocks. 

 They are easily detected, as the veins in the pelt are full of 

 dried blood, through the sheep not having been bled at all. 

 These dead skins usually bring about id. to i|d. per Ib. under the 

 price of a sound skin of the same quality. 



Weevils destroy the pelts of a great number of skins in the 

 country. One has to examine a pelt very closely sometimes to 

 detect the small holes made by the weevils, though if left long 

 enough they will eat the whole pelt away. If skins are to be 

 left for any length of time they should be painted with an 

 arsenic solution, which can be purchased from most wool-brokers. 



The following can be made up by any one wishing to make 

 their own painting solution : 



Ib. arsenic, f Ib. washing soda, I gallon of water, and boil well. This 

 mixture can be added to 3 gallons more water, and painted on the fleshy 

 side of skins with an old broom. 



Green skins direct from the abattoirs are regularly sold in 

 town by auction at so much each. 



The skins are weighed by the broker, who gives the buyers 

 the average weight per skin of each lot offered. The buyer 

 then estimates the amount of weight the skins will each lose 

 during drying. For instance, we will take a lot of green skins, 

 the weight averaging 12 Ib. each. The buyer values them at 

 6d. per Ib. dry weight. He then estimates their loss per skin 

 at 4 Ib. This leaves him 8 Ib. of dry weight per skin at 6d. 

 per Ib. The skins are therefore worth 43. each. Green skins 

 will lose from 25 to 35 per cent, of their weight when dried. 



SKIN-BUYING IN THE COUNTRY. 



Skin-buyers in country districts buy their skins from the 

 farmers and send them to town brokers to be sold, usually at 

 a profit. In most cases they have to buy very mixed lots from 



