SUMMER MANAGEMENT. 179 



the gainer, for the very reverse is the fact in nine tenths of 

 such instances, owing to the slovenly and half-way execu- 

 tion which follows, the sheep carrying away wool enough 

 to doubly pay the ordinary day wages. The fault, it will 

 have been seen, lies at the door of the master, and not 

 wholly to the shearer. 



Of those who can sheaf a large number in a day, and per- 

 form it skilfully, there are very few ; but nothing precise can 

 be stated, as it depends entirely on the breed. If they are 

 Saxons or Merinos, or grades of these breeds, it will be 

 very safe to say, from twenty-five to forty, taking the aver- 

 age of a flock ; the grown sheep fewer than of yearlings. 

 In general terms, it may be said that he is a good workman 

 who will accomplish about the largest number, cuts the wool 

 with one clip of his shears, and not in twain, as one shear- 

 ing too fast is apt to do, shears even and close without cut- 

 ting the skin, and holds his sheep in those positions both 

 easy to it and himself. 



The following instructions may be followed, intended for 

 the novice : — 



Supposing that the floor of the shearing-house has previ- 

 ously been thoroughly cleaned, the pound containing the 

 flock littered with straw — the shearer proceeds to bring his 

 sheep upon the floor. This he must avoid doing after a 

 common method, which resembles, rather than an3nhing 

 else, the rough-and-tumble efforts of a dog dragging a wood- 

 chuck from his burrow — but after catching it, to throw his 

 right arm around the body, grasping the brisket with his 

 hand, then lift it, and v/ith his left hand remove dirt or straw, 

 if any adhere to the feet. If the sheep is filthy about the 

 tail, or perchance any burs are attached to the wool, at the 

 threshold of the door, let all be cut off by a suitable pair of 

 shears at hand for such purposes only. Then he may place 

 the sheep on that part of the floor assigned to him, resting 

 on its rump, and himself in a posture, ^vith one knee on a 

 cushion, and the back of the animal resting against his left 

 thigh. He grasps the shears about half-way from the point 

 to the bow, resting his thumb along the blade, which affords 

 him better command of the points. He may then commence 

 cutting the wool at the brisket, and, proceeding downwards, 

 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 upwards, shearing the 



