SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 329 



Straw, and fresh straw thrown on occasionally, to keep the sheep clean 

 while shearing. No chaff', or other substances which will stick in the wool, 

 should be used for this purpose. When the dew has dried off" from the 

 sheep, on the morning chosen for shearing, a portion of the flock sufficient 

 to last the shearers half a day, is driven into the outside yard, and a con- 

 venient number into the bay (1). An assistant catches the sheep, lifts 

 them off* from the floor as already directed, and delivers them at the door 

 through the " breastwork " (3) to each shearer. The shearer before takinp- 

 the sheep, picks off" any loose straws sticking to its wool, and if duno- ad- 

 heres to any of the feet, brushes it off" with a little besom formed of twio-s, 

 hung up near the door for that purpose. The shearer then takes the sheep 

 to his stand, and commences shearing. 



The floor or tables used for shearing should be planed or worn perfectly 

 smooth, so that they will not hold dirt or catch the wool. They all should 

 "•^e thoroughly cleaned, and, if necessary, washed, preparatory to shearing. 

 It is the catcher's business to keep the floor constantly swept, dung re- 

 moved, &c. Having a neio stand or place swept for the shearer who has 

 just finished his sheep, he catches him another, and then clears up the 

 stand previously occupied. He first lifts the fleece, gathers it up so that 

 it shall not be torn or drawn asunder, and turning his arms so as to invert 

 It, (^. e., bring the roots of the wool downward,) deposits it on thefohUjig- 

 table {i). He then picks up the "fribs" (small loose locks) left on the 

 floor, which are deposited in a basket or on a corner of the table. Lastly, 

 he sweeps the spot clean, to be again occupied by the shearer. An active 

 fellow will tend four shearers, and do up the fleeces. But he should not 

 be hurried too much, or he cannot give suflacient time to doing up. A 

 small boy or two are handy to pick up fribs, sweep, &c. 



If there are any sheep in the pen dirty from purging or other causes, 

 they should first be caught out, to prevent them from dirtying the others. 



It is difficult, if not impossible, to give intelligible practical instructions 

 "which would guide an entire novice in skillfully shearing a sheep. Prac- 

 tice is requisite. The following directions from the American Shepherd,* 

 are coi-rect, and are as plain, perhaps, as they can be made : 



" The shearer may place the sheep on that part of the floor assigned to him, resting on its 

 rump, and himsell in a posture wiih one (his right) knee on a cushion, and the back of the ani- 

 mal resting against his left thigh. He gi'asps the shears about half-way from the point to the 

 bow, resting his thumb along the blade, which affords liim better command of the points. 

 He may then commence cutting the wool at the brisket, and j)roceeding downward, all upon 

 the sides of the belly to the extremity of the ribs, the external sides of both thighs to the 

 edges of the flanks ; then back to the brisket; and thence upward, shearing the wool from the 

 breast, front, and both sides of the neck — but not yet the back of it — and also the poll or 

 fore part, and top of the head. Now the 'jacket is opened ' of the sheep, and its position 

 and that of the shearer is changed, by being turned flat upon its side, one knee of the shear"r 

 resting on the cushion, and the other gently pressing tlie fore quarter of the animal, to pre- 

 vent any sti'ugghng. He then resumes cutting upon the flank and nimp, and thence on- 

 ward to the head. Thus one side is complete. The sheep is then turned on to the other 

 eide, in doing which great care is requisite to prevent the fleece from being torn, and the 

 ehearcr acts as upon the other, which finishes. He must then take his sheep near to the 

 door through which it is to pass out, and neatly trim the legs, and leave not a solitary loch, 

 anywhere as a harbor for ticks. It is absolutely necessary for him to remove from his stand 

 to trim, otherwise the useless stuff from the legs becomes intorniingled with the fleece-wool. 

 In the use of the shears, let the blades be laid as flat to the skin as possible, not lower the 

 points too much, nor cut more than from one to two inches at a clip, frequently not so much, 

 depending on the part and compactness of the wool." 



In addition to the above, I would remark that the wool should be cut 

 off" as close as conveniently practicable, and even. It may he cut too close, 

 so that the sheep can scarcely avoid " sun-scald," but this is very unusual. 



* Pages 179, ISO. 

 1(149) 



