286 THE DOMESTIC SHEEP. 



first set up on its rump, when the shearer cuts the wool 

 down the belly to the sides, around the throat, and to the 

 neck. The sheep is then quietly held on its side, and the 

 wool loosened to the back bone and a little over it, as seen 

 where the stooping shearer is at work. The sheep is then 



FIG. 33. Hand Shearing. 



.turned over, and the fleece cut on the other side. In this 

 sort of shearing one must carefully avoid under cutting, 

 that is, cutting the wool above the skin by taking too deep 

 a cut, or holding the shears with the points too high. This 

 either leaves ridges in the wool left on the sheep, or double 

 cuts it, making a waste. 



A convenient tagging bench is shown at figure 35. This 

 is used to hold the sheep while the tag locks are removed. 

 The sheep is then passed over to the shearing bench on which 

 it lies more comfortably and easy, and is consequently less 



