328 



SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



a cucumber,) is reduced toK§ie level of the soles. Two expert men will 

 go through these processes in less time than it will take to read this de- 

 scription of them ! 



The closer the paring and clipping, the better, if blood is not drawn. 

 An occasional sheep may require clipping again in the fall. 



Time between Washing and Shearing. — This depends altogether on 

 circumstances. From four to six days of bright warm weather is suffi- 

 cient. If cold and rainy, or cloudy, more time must elapse. I have known 

 the wool to remain in an unfit condition to shear a fortnight after washing. 

 The rule is, the water should be thoroughly dried out, and the natural oil 

 of the wool should so far exude as to give the wool an unctuous feel and 

 a lively, glittering look. If you shear it when dry, like cotton, before the 

 oil has exuded, you cheat yourself, and the wool will not keep so well for 

 long periods.* If you leave it until it gets too oily, you cheat the manu- 

 facturer, or what more often happens, you lose on the price. 



Shearing — Is always done, in this country, on the threshing-floors of 

 our barns, sometimes on low platforms, but more commonly on the floor 

 itself The following cut represents a common Northern bam properly 

 arranged for this purpose. 



Fig. 22. 



WiliiiilliiiiilHilii 



SHEARIiNG ARRANGEMENTS. 



On the threshing-floor, three men are seen shearing — two of them using 

 a low table or platform, say 18 or 20 inches high. The " bay " t (1, 2) 

 nearest the eye is divided by a temporary fence, one part (1) being used 

 for the yarding of the sheep, and the other (2) for doing up the wool, &c. 

 The inclosure 1 should communicate by a door with another and larger 

 yard outside of the barn. Both of these should be well littered down with 



* It is also very difficult to thrust the shears throujh this dry wool in shearing. - r, -j <• , 



t The room for storiiit: hav. crain. &.C., which is always found on one. and sometimes on each side of the 



thre.shiiii;-tloor in a Northern barn, is provincially termed a " bay ''— i.nd the low division between this and 



the ihreshins-floor a " breastvv-ork." 

 (048) 



