Z4 N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



The shearing should be done in a light, clean place, preferably on a 

 smooth wooden platform, or on a canvas cloth to keep the fleece clean. 

 Sheep should never be tied or held by the horns while being sheared. 

 They should be turned upon the buttocks with the head and shoulders 

 resting against the shearer. The wool should be opened on the belly 

 and clipped away carefully, keeping the skin drawn tightly at all times. 

 By so doing there will be no danger of cutting the skin. 



FIG. 9 Showing position to hold a sheep to keep the skin 

 drawn tightly while shearing. 



After the wool is removed all the filth and tags should be removed. 

 The fleece is then rolled up, the loose fibers and ends being turned 

 toward the center, leaving the cut side of the fiber out. If the wool 

 is carefully clipped, wrapped and tied it will add considerably to its 

 appearance and value. Wool should never be tied with anything except 

 the wool itself, or with regular fleece twine, the best of which is made 

 from paper. This latter being light in weight does not add to the 

 weight of the wool. Binder or sisal twine of any kind should never be 

 used, as the fibers of the twine become mixed with the wool and detract 

 from its value. Sometimes a loss of as much as four or five cents per 

 pound in the raw wool is sustained from this cause. Wool coming from 

 certain territories is at times greatly discriminated against because of 

 this condition. 



