WASHING AND SHEARING SHEEP 3OI 



series of rings is thus made, extending from the head to 

 the shoulder blade. The sheep is then laid on its side. 

 The wool is then shorn from shoulder to buttock on one 

 side. The cuts made are similar and parallel and of equal 

 width. The sheep is then turned over and the wool is 

 removed from the other side, shearing from buttock to 

 stern. A good shearer keeps the shears gnawing, as it 

 were, through the wool rather than making distinct cuts 

 each time the shear handles are pressed toward each 

 other. When the shears are thus used, the lines left are 

 more evenly made and the hazard of cutting the skin is 

 reduced. 



When the sheep are shorn by the round method, the 

 animal is placed on its buttock. The wool is first removed 

 from the brisket downward to the fore-flank. It is then 

 shorn from right to left clear across the belly. The wool 

 on the entire belly thus removed hangs on the left side of 

 the fleece. The wool is then opened up on the under side 

 of the neck, and beginning at the ears, the neck and body 

 are shorn by running the shears around to the ridge of 

 the topline. The sheep is then turned over and the right 

 side is shorn in the same way. Each line made by the 

 shears should be at right angles with the topline. Sheep 

 thus shorn have a zebra-like appearance, which is very 

 attractive. Fat sheep have a very neat appearance when 

 shorn thus, but lean sheep look best when shorn by the 

 long method. An expert shearer will never cut the wool 

 twice, that is, he will not, even when shearing past the 

 spinal column, point the shears so high that any of the 

 wool will have to be clipped again. Clipping twice means 

 waste of wool. 



When sheep are shorn by machinery, some kind of 

 power is necessary to drive the clippers used when at 

 work. When done in a large way, a long line of shaft- 

 ing is put in place, so that many shearers may work simul- 

 taneously along the line of the same. The power called 

 for is not large in amount, compared with the work done. 



