THE GENESEE FARMER. 



143 



The object of this meeting was to see if we could 

 not produce a greater uniformity. 



A gentleman whose name we did not learn, had 

 had some experience in shearing without washing. 

 Last year he sheared two hundred sheep, April 

 20th, without washing, and the buyer took the 

 wool at the same price as that which had been 

 washed. He thought if sheep were sheared un- 

 washed, from the 20th of April to the 10th of 

 May, the wool would have no more grease in it 

 than that from washed sheep sheared' from the 

 20th of June to the 10th of July. The sheep 

 would stand shearing in April better than in July. 



A committee having been appointed to draft 

 resolutions, their Chairman, H. T. Brooks, re- 

 ported as follows : 



Resolved., That the practice of washing sheep should be 

 abolished; because — 



1st. It permits of early shearing, which secures a 

 greater quantity of wool and longer staple, and a better 

 condition of sheep and lambs thioughout the year. 



2d. It would be conducive to the interests of the 

 grower and the manufacturer, inasmuch as it would ne- 

 cessitate the purchase of wool upon its merits, and abol- 

 ish the unjust practice of purchasing at average rates. 



8d. Of the exposure to contageous diseases, such as 

 scab, foot-rot, <&c. 



4th. That it is an expensive, unpleasant job, and un- 

 healthy to man and sheep. That the loss resulting from 

 sheep taking cold, over-run in yards, drowning, and other 

 accidents and injuries incidental to washing, is often verv 

 great, and that the manufacturer can cleanse the wool 

 cheaper than the grower. 



5th. That it is the duty, as it is for the interest of wool 

 growers, to put their unwashed wool in good condition 

 for the buyer by thoroughly tagging their sheep, by keep- 

 ing their sheds and yards well littered during the fodder- 

 ing stason, and by throvving out all tilth that can be 

 separated from the wool. 



()th. As some lots of wool are more gross and gummy 

 than others, the buyer should not decide on any uniform 

 rate of deduction for shrinTiage, but each lot "should be 

 sold on its own merits, according to its quality and con- 

 dition. 



Lastly. As generally practiced washing is little or no 

 improvement to the fleece in cleanliness or condition. 



The first resolution was then taken up. 



H. T. Brooks thought we got more wool by 

 early shearing. 



A gentleman from Livingston county, whose 

 name we did not hear, asked if non-washing and 

 early shearing was not the practice of those wish- 

 ing to show their sheep. If sheep were housed, 

 (Sic, he thought it would do to shear early, but for 

 the mass of farmers it would not pay. 



Mr. Whitney said that for the first five days 

 after shearing sheep were very susceptible to cold. 



Mr. MoPherson thought we could produce more 

 wool by shearing early — say first of May. Wool 

 grows very little in warm weather. When sheared 

 late the hot sun blisters the sheeps' backs; if 

 sheared early, the wool will be an inch longer. 

 He lut'l tried tlie experiment for ten years. The 

 wool was one-third longer. 



Mr. TowNSEND thought there was great advan- 

 tage in shearing early. Last yenr he slieared some 

 on the 1st of May and others on the 1st of July: 

 tbe former, unwashed, did well; the latter fell 

 away and the wool was not so good. 



Mr. King asked if those sheared early were not 

 bucks ? How about the ewes ? You can not shear 

 them in the lambing season. Tub-washed wool 

 always sells the highest. It had been stated that 

 buyers could not tell a washed from an unwashed 

 fleec^. This was a great mistake. He would ad- 

 vise farmers to wash their sheep, and prei)are their 

 wool in the best manner They would certainly, 

 in the end, reap great advantages from so doing. 



Mr. Wiley thought most of the speakers were 

 men engaged in breeding fancy sheep. He believed 

 the majority of wool-growers would still find it to 

 their interest to wash their sheep — and wash them 

 well. Last year there was a great demand for 

 wool, and buyers were so anxious to purchase that 

 they made little distinction. He thought if it 

 should become the common practice to shear with- 

 out washing the common farmers would be the 

 losers. 



Mr. Terrell, of Monroe, had resided all his life 

 in Vermont, until three years* ago, when he re- 

 mo.vedto this section and brought his sheep with 

 him. Formerly he was in favor of washing; but 

 he was now tired of it. He housed his sheep, and 

 was in favor of shearing early. He gets a longer 

 staple. It had been urged as an objection to the 

 practice that you could not shear in the lambing 

 season. He preferred to have his lambs corae 

 early. Had twenty lambs now (April 2.) They 

 do better in sheds in April than in the open field 

 in May and June. 



Mr. Bristol, of Wyoming, an extensive wool 

 dealer, as well as a large wool-grower, s?,id that we 

 could not get as much for Western New York wool 

 as for Ohio by 15 cents per pound! The reason 

 was we were getting too smart! The dealers will 

 not buy our wool until Ohio and Michigan is all 

 gone, and Vermont was last of all. He sent some 

 Western New York and some Ohio wool to New 

 York. The former was just as good in staple as 

 the latter, but it would not bring as much by 10 

 cents per pound — there was so much dirt in it. He 

 has now on hand some Wyoming county wool that 

 was bought as washed wool that would shrink 50 

 per cent.! He shears from 1,000 to 2,000 sheep, 

 and he gave it as his opinion that farmers would 

 find it to their interest to wash their sheep well, 

 and prepare their wool for market in the best man- 



