304 WASH AND SHEAH aHEEP. JJI 



n sloped month at one end, and to walk out by 

 another at the other end, with a depth sufficient 

 at one part for them to swim : pave the whole : 

 the breadth need not he more than six or seven 

 feet ; at one spot let in on each side of this pas- 

 sage, where the depth is just sufficient for the 

 water to flow over the sheep's back, a cask either 

 fixed or leaded, fora man to stand in dry; the sheep 

 being in the water between them, they wash inper- 

 feclion, and pushing them on, they swim through 

 the deep part, and walk out at the other mouth,, 

 where is a clean pen, or a very clean dry pasture 

 to receive them. Of course there is a bridge rail- 

 way to the tubs ; and a pen at the first mouth of 

 the water, whence the sheep are turned into it, 

 where they may be soaking a few minutes before 

 being driven to the washers. 



Shearing is a business very ill performed in many- 

 parts of the kingdom, so that it is probable that 

 one or two ounces of wool are left on an average 

 on all the sheep in it, which is mischievous to the 

 next growth ; for wool is in this rcsper/l likc j grass, 

 it will not thrive well if it be not cut close. This 

 bad clipping ari^rs much from longitudinal cut- 

 ting. The improvement of clipping circularly 

 round the body of the sheep began in Lin- 

 colnshire, and thencv into Leicestershire. 

 The Earl of Egremont was assiduous in introducing 

 it into Sussex, the Duke of Bedford into Bedford- 

 shire, and Mr. Coke into Norfolk, so that gradu- 

 ally it will spread over the kingdom. Possibly the 



motive 



