166 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA. 



tage of a creek or natural pool. The sheep 

 are immersed, the wool squeezed a little bfr 

 tween the hands and they are permitted to go 

 out and drain themselves on the bank. No 

 soap is used, as the oil of the wool is itself 

 readily dissolved in water, and it is this oil 

 only that is sought to he removed. It is usual 

 to allow ten days or two weeks to elapse after 

 washing before the sheep are shoTu; and, in 

 fact, it is not easy to shear them as soon as 

 they are dry owing to a difficulty in penetrat- 

 ing the wool with the shears until more oil 

 has been secreted in the wool. 



AV ASHING AND SHEARING. 



The dipping tank can be used for washing 

 sheep, but not unless there can in some way be 

 secured a continuous stream of water to flow 

 through it. The sheep should not drain bad; 

 into the tank in case it is used. It is to be 

 hoped that this custom of washing will soon 

 be one of ancient history wherever sheep are 

 grown. 



Some sheep owners have their fleeces tub- 

 washed after being taken from the sheep's back. 

 This is not difficult to do, only that the drying 

 is slow and it ought not to be necessary. 



SHEARING. 



The shearing of sheep is an art not to be 

 iimiiediately learned by the novice. It requires 

 several seasons' practice to make an expert 

 shearer of a man. There is, unfortunately, a 

 scarcity of good shearers in all our Easteni 



