WASHING AND SHEARING SHEEP 293 



interfere with the free action of the arms of those engaged 

 in doing the work. More or less current in the water is 

 distinctly helpful, as it floats away the dirt removed from 

 the fleece. 



When sheep are washed beneath a waterfall, the 

 requisites are about the same as when they are washed in 

 a stream or lake, except that a dep'th of water such as will 

 float the sheep is not so necessary. They are led out un- 

 der the falling water, and the dirt in the wool, when it is 

 properly manipulated, is quickly carried away. Years 

 ago so important was it considered to have a good place 

 for washing sheep that running streams were sometimes 

 dammed for no other purpose than to furnish a waterfall 

 adapted to such a use. 



Handling sheep when washing or shearing them 

 The necessity for handling sheep with gentleness while 

 washing and shearing them should never be forgotten. 

 The sheep is a timid animal and is easily injured by rough 

 handling. When the wool is the only medium used in 

 handling sheep, they will invariably suffer injury at the 

 hands of those who handle them. When grasped by the 

 wool they invariably struggle to get away. The measure 

 of the struggling is the timidity of the sheep, the extent 

 to which they have been accustomed to handling and 

 the roughness or gentleness of the handling. When sheep 

 are grasped by the wool and struggle to get away, and 

 are then slaughtered and the skin removed, the inner side 

 of the skin underneath where the wool was grasped will 

 be reddened with the blood that has centered in blood 

 vessels there. Its presence bears testimony to the extent 

 of the injury done. 



Sheep may be most readily caught by the aid of a 

 crook. This means a rod of several feet in width, a piece 

 of metal attached to the farther end. which is bent back- 

 wards so as to form a crook. When used in catching 

 sheep it is thrust forward and quickly drawn backward 

 so as to catch a leg, usually a hind leg, within the crook. 



