CHAPTER XVIII. 



SHEEP SHEARING. 



Shearing. Wethers supply a large portion of the summer and 

 autumn mutton. Fat lambs are in demand throughout hot weather, 

 but the greater portion of the sheep killed are wethers, largely 

 composed of those which are bred in the later lambing districts, 

 particularly the grass districts. The summer management of these 

 is simple ; they are stronger in constitution than are tegs, and 

 they therefore are less inclined to be affected by sour keep or 

 excessive feeding. The shearing of the wool turns the teg into a 

 wether. In the south-east of England the term teg is retained 

 after shearing ; but this is the only exception. Before shearing 

 it is customary to wash the sheep to relieve the wool of the greater 

 part of the dirt, and to give it a more marketable appearance. Of 

 recent years a number of advocates for selling the wool in an 

 unwashed condition have sprung up, and they have found followers. 

 It is urged that it is to the advantage of the farmer, 

 who, though he gets less per pound, is more than compensated 

 by the greater gross weight paid on. This is opposed to 

 all other experiences. The buyer knows more about wool 

 than a farmer with a limited experience is likely to. The 

 object in offering goods for sale is to make them appear more 

 marketable. Dirty potatoes, unclean wheat, ungroomed horses 

 in fact, any commodity which is not offered for sale in an attractive 

 form will not realise so much as when properly prepared for sale. 

 Why, then, should wool ? If a farmer can find an inexperienced 

 buyer who can be misled as to the quantity of dirt in and on the 

 wool, he may gain an advantage, but such buyers are not commonly 

 met with. If there is a doubt as to the actual condition of any 

 article, and if the professional buyer has reason to believe he is 

 running risks in buying, he does not buy confidently, but buys 

 within the actual value, so that he may cover his risk, and thus 

 the seller is the loser. It is to the advantage of the wool-buyer 

 to purchase wool in a crude condition because his special knowledge 

 places him in a better position than the seller with less experience 

 can hope to be. He will not give more than it is worth, but will 

 probably pay less. The question of washing or not washing is 



