CHAPTER VI. 



WASHING, SHEARING AND MARKING. 



The washi-ng of sheep to remove the surplus 

 oil in the wool was once a universal prac- 

 tice. It was one of those old practices, like 

 putting "redding" on the fleeces to make the 

 sheep "look attractive" (?) that are hard to 

 account for. The washing did not prepare the 

 wool for manufacture nor render it more eas- 

 ily scoured by him. It did, however, render it 

 lighter, and therefore the buyers found washing 

 to their advantage. 



At the present time few sheep, comparative- 

 ly speaking, are washed before shearing. It 

 may, however, be profitable in some localities 

 where buyers discriminate sharply against un- 

 washed wool to continue to put the sheep 

 through the water as of old. 



If the sheep owner can find a buyer who 

 really knows his business and buys honestly, 

 he will get as much for his fleeces unwashed as 

 washed, and can therefore save himself the 

 disagreeable task and the flock the injury that 

 such a shock is sure to inflict. 



One serious disadvantage of washing is that 

 it can not be done safely and comfortably until 



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