214 



MODERN SHEEP: BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



get the best results the sheep should be always turned to the right. 

 The skin should be always stretched tight as the shears run over 

 it. The wool is first parted at the forward end of the brisket and 

 opened down as far as the hind legs. The front legs of the sheep 

 are then kept in position by the right arm and the machine run 

 down the right side from the foreleg to the flank. Next, the 

 shears are run across the belly over to the left side, from the left 

 shoulder to the right to a line extending from, the shoulder to the 

 flank. The heel of the clipper should be elevated a trifle and the 



A Very Handy Shearing Machine. 



points kept well down on the skin. The fore feet are now dropped 

 and the left hand placed on the stifle joint, which is straightened 

 out and the skin made tight. This makes it easy to trim the 

 wool from the inside of the legs with outward strokes. Both hind 

 legs are treated in an exactly similar way. The tags on the out- 

 side of the leg are next trimmed off. In shearing the wool from 

 the neck, straighten out the neck by placing the left hand on the 

 sheep's under jaw and turning the head back and resting it on 

 the left knee. The shears should be run ]engthwise on the back 

 of the neck toward the top of the head. In shearing the shoulders, 

 the sheep should be given a quarter "cramp" and each stroke run 

 towards the backbone, the skin, of course, being kept tight all the 



