WASHING AND SHEARING SHEEP 305 



numbers by either method, each gang of shearers has its 

 complement of helpers to catch the sheep and also to care 

 for the wool when the fleece has been removed. The 

 rapidity with which good shearers will remove the fleece 

 is, in a sense, surprising. The fleece has been removed 

 by hand in less than five minutes, and by machinery in 

 less than two minutes. Owing to the closeness of the 

 shearing with the clippers, the sheep are more susceptible 

 to the influences of adverse weather subsequently. Con- 

 sequently more care should be exercised in providing 

 them with shelter from inclement weather. Such care 

 has special significance when sheep are grazed on western 

 ranges where fluctuations in temperature come suddenly 

 and in some instances with much severity. 



What is known as stubble shearing is sometimes re- 

 sorted to by those who exhibit sheep at the fairs. When 

 sheep are thus shorn, a part of the growth of the wool is 

 left on at the time of the shearing. The object is to add 

 to the length of the staple. Usually about half of the 

 fleece is then trimmed, so as to add to the attractiveness 

 of the animal in the show ring. Stubble shearing is 

 clearly dishonest when it contravenes any of the rules of 

 the fair, and is of at least doubtful morality under any 

 conditions, since it is intended to deceive. 



Handling the shorn fleece — In all instances the fleece 

 should be trimmed before sorting, when such trimming is 

 needed. By trimming is meant removing tags to which 

 dried excrement adheres, and other substances foreign 

 to the wool, as far as this may be possible. The tags will 

 usually more than repay the cost of washing. This may 

 be done by first soaking them in water as previously in- 

 timated, and then washing them two or three times in 

 warm soap suds. They should be sold apart from the 

 other wool, and wool that has been pulled should be sim- 

 ilarly sold. 



When the flock is small, the fleece may be prepared for 

 marketing as follows : It is spread on a clean floor, with 



