SHEEP. 91 



following directions from the American Shepherd* are correct, 

 and are as plain, perhaps, as they can he made : 



" ' The shearer may place the sheep on that part of the floor 

 assigned to him, resting on its rump, and himself in a posture 

 with one (his right) knee on a cushion, and the hack 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 pro- 

 ceeding downward, all upon the sides of the belly to the ex- 

 tremity of the ribs, the external sides of both thighs to the 

 edges of the flanks ; then back to the brisket, and thence up- 

 ward, shearing the wool from the breast, front, and both sides 

 of the neck but not yet the back of it and also the poll or 

 fore-part, and top of the head. Now the "jacket is opened" of 

 the sheep, and its position and that of the shearer is changed, by 

 being turned flat upon its side, one knee of the shearer resting 

 on the cushion, and the other gently pressing the fore-quarter 

 of the animal, to prevent any struggling. He then resumes 

 cutting /upon the flank and ^ump, and thence onward to the 

 head. Thus one side is complete. The sheep is then turned 

 on to the other side, in doing which great care is requisite to 

 prevent the fleece from being torn, and the shearer acts as upon 

 the other, which finishes. He must then take his sheep near 

 to the door through which it is to pass out, and neatly trim 

 the legs, and leave not a solitary lock anywhere as a harbor 

 for ticks. It is absolutely necessary for him to remove from 

 his stand to trim, otherwise the useless stuff from the legs be- 

 comes intermingled with the fleece wool. In the use of the 

 shears, let the blades be laid as flat to the skin as possible, not 

 lower the points too much, nor cut more than from one to two 

 inches at a clip, frequently not so much, depending on the part 

 and compactness of the wool.' 



" Cold storms sometimes destroy sheep, in this latitude, soon 



* Pages 1T9, 180. 



