178 MANAGEMENT OF SIIEEr, 



tliat their fleeces were gnawed off rather than shorn. But 

 with a view to repress indignation, the writer will not enter 

 into further description of such slovenly-looking objects, but 

 propose the question. Whose fault is this, and to whose door 

 is it to be laid 1 Is it the shearer, or is it the master ? 



In the first place, the mass of wool-growers are themselves 

 ignorant of the details of this important art, very few having 

 ever learned it practically, and consequently are incompetent 

 to teach it. Therefore, \Vhen the shearer is proceeding with 

 his work, the master looks on, and, if faults are committed, 

 he is incapable of directing how they shall be avoided. He 

 may, it is true, vehemently denounce the unskilfulness and 

 cruelty of the shearer, but he has not himself the requisite 

 knowledge to take the shears and personally direct how they 

 should be held, and how far they should clip from the point, 

 or the position the sheep should lie, in order to prevent its 

 tearing the fleece with its feet. In addition to this, it is quite 

 probable that the shearer, with a view to save a shilling or 

 two, has been hired to perform the work by the lump, or so 

 much per head ; and under such circumstances he recklessly 

 " cuts in" and dashes ahead to accomplish it in the most 

 speedy time, regardless of the scolding of his employer, the 

 manner of his work, or humanity to the suffering animal. 



There are shearers, but they are few, who can do their 

 work quickly and yet do it well ; but these have acquired 

 the art correctly at the beginning, and have wisely adhered 

 to its rules through a long experience. But the great ma- 

 jority have been spoiled when learning the rudiments, by 

 the very class of farmers alluded to. Thus even shearers 

 who have had the benefit of some correct teaching, are made 

 reckless performers by parsimonious notions on the part of 

 those who have employed them. 



Bad habits are very easily acquired by a shearer, as the 

 writer has had frequent opportunities of observing in those 

 who have served him in this capacity for successive years ; 

 but it has been in the employ of these shear-by-the-head or 

 job flock-masters. Here is the root of the evil — urging 

 shearers to do more than they can do well, and thereby con- 

 firming the old but truthful adage, " haste makes waste." 

 The axe must be laid at the root of this evil at once, or good 

 workmen will continue to be, as now, few and far between. 

 The wool-grower must cease to entertain the false notion 

 that by hiring his shearing done by the head or job, he is 



