1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



299 



SHEEP SHEARING. 

 WHEN SHOULD IT BE DONE? 

 The common answer to this question is : When 

 the oil has been secreted after washing, so that 

 the wool has its greasy look, and feel, and the 

 "yolk" has begun to form near the root of the 

 fibre. This is well — one other matter needs to be 

 looked after, also. It is the growth of the new 

 wool. Every year a new growth of wool com- 

 mences from the skin of the sheep. This should 

 be watched l)y the shepherd, and the shearing 

 should be done just as the second growth begins 

 to start. The shearer should cut as nearly as 

 possible along the dividing line between the old 

 and the new. If the second year's growth is al- 

 lowed to grow somewhat, before shearing, you 

 take part of two years' wool in the same fleece. 

 This impairs the fibre, for at the point of union 

 between the growths of the two yeai-s, the wool 

 is weak. This lowers the price. Besides, if the 

 shearing is long delayed, the fleece for the next 

 •winter will be thinner, and the sheep more liable 

 to sicken and die. On the other hand, if you 

 shear before the second year's gi'owth has start- 

 ed at all, some of this year's growth will be left 

 at the outer extremity of the next year's fleece. 

 This remnant of this year's fleece, will diminish 

 the value of the next year's fleece, for the reason 

 mentioned above. We say, then, shear your 

 sheep, if possible, when the new fleece just be- 

 gins to start. 



PREPARATIONS FOR SHEARING. 



Sweep off the barn floor, scatter a little straw 

 over it, and nail over that a bit of coarse canvas, 

 or old oil cloth. This will make a soft bed for 

 the sheep to rest on during shearing, and it can 

 be kept perfectly smooth and clean. 



If you use low benches to shear on, they should 

 be prepared in a similar way. The place where 

 the sheep lie during the process should, at least, 

 be very clean and smooth, to avoid filth in the 

 wool, or tearing it with a rough surface. Drive 

 into the out-side barn-yard, sheep enough to last 

 the shearers half a day. Then drive a portion of 

 these into a spialler enclosure, (a stable or part 

 of the "bay") near the barn floor. Strew the floor 

 of this enclosure with clean straw, that the sheep 

 may not become dirty, if they lie down. 



CAUTIONS ABOUT PREPARING. 



1. Wait till the dew is off, before shutting up 

 the sheep, under cover. 



2. Do not, if you can avoid it, confine a great- 

 er number of sheep at once, than the shearers 

 can shear in half a day. It does the sheep no 

 7ood to be long shut up, and the shearing can be 

 done more easily and neatly, if the body of the 

 sheep is full of food. 



3. The above cautions are for dry weather. 

 But if the weather should be wet, you must eith- 

 er wait a few days, till it becomes clear, or keep 

 the sheep under cover and feed them as best you 

 can. For it should be always kept in mind, that 

 shearing should not be done when the wool is 

 wet. Sometimes in "catching" weather, sheep 

 thus confined, can be let out to feed in a pasture 

 near by, and driven under shelter again, if a 

 shower should be coming up, 



4. These facts, as well as the fatiguing nature 

 of the work, will suggest the importance of em- 

 ploying as great a number of good hands as you 



can, and doing up the work as soon as possible. 

 We would want "good hands," for a poor shear- 

 er wastes more than his wages, in haggling the 

 wool, and injuring the sheep. 



MODE OF SHEARING. 

 Every shearer has his own way. We would 

 not dictate to any. But the following is a good 

 mode: — Place the sheep on his rump, with his 

 back towards you, and his left side resting against 

 your left leg and thigh. In this position, the 

 sheep may have "his jacket opened ;" that is, the 

 shearer will commence at the brisket, and shear 

 down the belly on the right side ; then shear the 

 outside of both thighs ; then up, on the left side 

 of the belly to the brisket; and then both sides 

 of the neck, with the head. This is "opening the 

 jacket." The sheep is then laid upon his side, 

 and the shearer commences at the rump, and 

 shears thence towards the head. Then the sheep 

 is turned over, and the other side is sheared in 

 like manner. Great care should be taken in turn- 

 ing the sheep, to prevent his struggling and 

 kicking the fleece to pieces. Prudence and gen- 

 tleness are qualities that will pay here, as well as 

 everywhere else. A few suggestions must close 

 what we say now. Remove all straws, burs and 

 other filth from the fleece, before beginning to 

 shear. Also wipe the feet of the sheep, if they 

 have dung on them. Keep the platform clear, 

 by frequent sweepings. Use no violence, and 

 remember with pity the fears of a dumb animal. 

 Shear close and even, and be very careful not to 

 cut the wool twice, which is often done by un- 

 skillful or careless shearers. Do not cut the skin 

 of the sheep, or prick it with the point of the 

 shears. When the operation is done, see that all 

 tags and stray locks are cut off", from legs, tail, 

 belly, and every other part. Leaving such tags 

 is very slovenly, and gives protection to the ticks. 

 — Ohio Farmer. 



WILL YOU LEND ME YOUR — ? 



Yes, neighbor, if you will bring it home again 

 to-day. There is no greater trial of one's patience 

 than this everlasting unfaithful borrowing. No 

 benevolent man — such as we are — will refuse to 

 lend a friend a book or a hat, a razor or a hand- 

 saw, a plow or a pick-axe, if he can have a reas- 

 onable assurance that it will be returned, when 

 the immediate purpose for which it was borrowed 

 has been accomplished. But to reduce yourself 

 to beggary, by lending all you have, with no 

 prospect of seeing again in proper time or suita- 

 ble condition, the articles lent, is a tax upon our 

 good nature, which is perhaps more than ought 

 to be borne. 



We have sometimes doubted the inspiration 

 of the proverb, "The borrower is servant to the 

 lender." At any rate, men have so far deteriorat- 

 ed in their sense of propriety, that they — some 

 people — borrow with the most perfect assurance, 

 as if the lender were a servant to them. Of this, 

 however, we should not complain. Let us lend 

 cheerfully all that is asked, as humble servants 

 of the borrower, but let us muster courage to say 

 to our inveterate and self-confident borrowing 

 friends, please return that axe, umbrella, book, 

 hoe, rake or jackknife, to-day or to-morrow, or 

 as soon as you can make it convenient. — I'ort- 

 land Transcript. 



