SUMMER, MANAGEMENT. 181 



day, and possibly a few more the next ; at all events, guard 

 him all the while, and see that he hurries not, or slights his 

 work in any respect. 



In this way, and none other, can we properly educate 

 shearers to do their work with tact, and increased profit to 

 the flock-master. This is but a transcript of the writer's 

 course ; and to show its good results, he has now in mind 

 an instance, among several, where he instructed a raw one, 

 and the following season his pupil sheared forty per day, 

 and performed his task admirably. 



Again : if this plan could be generally adopted, good 

 shearers would be more plentiful, and wool-growers, aside 

 from other evils, would not be compelled to delay shearing 

 often beyond the proper time, for want of them. 



There is yet another mode of taking off the fleece, not un- 

 common in this country, very generally adopted in England, 

 and in nowise objectionable, and which is here laid before 

 the reader. The following description of it is from the 

 Farmer's Series : 



" A barn or shed into which plenty of light can be admit- 

 ted near the shearers should be selected, and a part of the 

 floor covered with a large canvass sheet, on which two 

 shearers can operate. The sheet should be nailed down, 

 and a little straw placed under it to soften it as a cushion. 

 The floor of the barn should be swept out quite clean, and a 

 light broom be at hand to sweep the sheet when necessary. 

 Everything being arranged, a shearer seizes a sheep, and 

 sets it on its rump, and keeps it in this position by resting 

 the back against his own legs. He removes all straws, 

 thorns, burs, &c., that may have adhered to the wool. 

 While thus held, the wool is removed from the head and 

 neck as far as the shoulders, and also from the belly, the 

 scrotum, and the edge of the thighs. The head of the ani- 

 mal is then bent down sideways, and the shearer, placing a 

 leg on each side of the neck of the sheep, pushes out the 

 opposite ribs by pressing his knees gently against the ribs 

 that are nearest to him. He next shears the wool from the 

 far side with his left hand, from the belly to the middle of 

 the back, and as far down as the loins. The sheep is now 

 turned, and the right hand is employed to shear the wool 

 from the near side. The sheep is then laid flat on its side, 

 and kept down by the shearer with his face towards the 

 rump of the sheep, resting his right knee on the ground in 



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