5 1 2 History of the Aulhor's 



With the Spaniards, I totally object to washing the wool on the sheep's back 

 before shearing. The fleece is so thick, that, when thoroughly soaked with water, 

 it is very long in drying ; and, if the weather prove wet and cold, the sheep is 

 evidently much incommoded. Besides, the waste in this way is, as I have before 

 observed, very variable, so as utterly to incapacitate us from forming an accurate 

 judgment of what remains of the yolk, and, therefore, of the value of the wool. 

 On this ground, I think that the proprietors of fine-woolled flocks are personally 

 interested in withstanding the prejudices and present ignorance of the dealers in 

 wool, with regard to that which continues in the yolk. Another reason against 

 washing is, that wool, in the full yolk, may be kept for several years without danger 

 from the moth, which then scarcely ever touches it; or breeds only in the dirty 

 points, where the yolk is least abundant. This circumstance ought to be generally 

 known among the growers of wool, as it gives them an opportunity of safely waiting 

 a reasonable time for a proper market. If it be objected that a difficulty may arise 

 from the averseness of the shearers to clip unwashed wool, I answer, with regard 

 to myself, that having entertained them liberally, I have always found them per- 

 fectly satisfied. 



My time of shearing has been about the second week in June ; but the proper 

 period must depend on climate, season, and other circumstances. I think that the 

 nature of the fleece requires that it should be performed earlier in the Merino, than 

 in our native breeds, more especially on the 2-tooths which have not been shorn 

 when lambs; and I have never known the sheep receive injury at the time which 

 I have specified. If, however, very cold or wet weather should follow, it would be 

 right to house them for two or three nights or days after the operation. The wool 

 should be clipped round the animal, and entirely separated at one cut, which cannot 

 be done in the common method of shearing lengthways. Twenty-five or thirty of 

 the Merino-Ryeland breed are as many as a man can properly shear in one day.. 



The place in which the sheep stand in preparation for shearing should be per- 

 fectly free from straw, hay, or dung ; and they should be shorn, if possible, either 

 on a barn floor, or on a temoorary stage of boards under a shed, which should be 

 carefully swept as each sheep is finished ; and the relics which drop out should 

 not be mixed with the fleece-wool, but put into a basket, or heap, by themselves. 

 I have found that a fleece, wound up in the common way with the band of wool 



