152 BRITISH SHEEP AND SHEPHERDING. 



those not well acquainted with sheep. In the eye of a good judge 

 old wool is distinctly detrimental to the appearance of the sheep, 

 as it lacks the bright lustre and freshness of newly-grown wool, 

 and a man of even little experience can at once detect whether 

 the sheep was shorn bare at the assigned time. 



The sheep to be trimmed is placed in a rack specially made to 

 hold it by the neck (in the clutches shown on the rack in illustra- 

 tion), in a convenient position for the operator. It is first sprinkled 

 with water, and the wool is cut off the back to give it a level 

 appearance. The wool is scraped with a wool sorter's comb, in 

 order to break the locks and bring up the longer hairs, so that they 

 may be trimmed off. The brisket is trimmed to give a bold, deep 

 front. From the brisket to the neck a full outline is aimed at, 

 the endeavour being to make an even curve, showing an unbroken 

 sweep from the jaws to the brisket, in the same way that from 

 the top of the shoulders to the poll the upper curve is made to 

 show a natural sweep with no inequalities. The hind quarters 

 are cut square, and to effect this it is generally necessary to leave a 

 greater quantity of wool about the thighs than about the hips. 

 The tail must be cut square ; and though a full broad dock should 

 be aimed at, it should not be allowed to hang so far back that 

 it appears like an eave overhanging the rest of the hind quarters. 

 The loose locks about the head and legs require clipping, and in 

 most breeds the loose bunches are pulled out at the first trimming. 

 Trimming in this manner is performed on three or four occasions, 

 so that the wool forms a dense pile. An experienced judge can 

 tell how much the sheep is trimmed into shape by the varying 

 appearance of the wool, as the lower it is cut on any particular 

 part, the finer and closer it appears. No colouring or other treat- 

 ment will deceive a competent judge, as the lie of the wool indicates 

 its length ; though as a " flat-catcher " to the inexperienced it may 

 serve its purpose. To the experienced it reveals at once the slack- 

 ness and want of correct outline in different parts of the sheep 

 which a touch of the fingers will confirm. Good trimming, like 

 good grooming, adds to the appearance of the animal, but its 

 chief value rests in the favourable impression it makes at first 

 sight, thereby attracting attention. 



Colouring for Exhibition. It is the custom among exhibitors 

 of several breeds to colour artificially the outside of the wool. 

 Red or yellow ochre, mixed in oil, is commonly used, according 

 to the fancy of the owner. Other breeds are merely oiled. Colour- 

 ing with ochre is not a practice of recent introduction, as it was 

 commonly practised in Hampshire more than a century ago. 

 Bachelor, in his " Cursory Notes on Husbandry," mentions it as a 

 common and old practice there more than a century and a-quarter 

 ago. It is, therefore, not the modern innovation it is often supposed 



