Summer Management of the Flock 215 



sheep is brought on and turned up for shearing, all 

 straw and dirt adhering should be removed. Most 

 buyers will make it to the advantage of the wool- 

 grower to separate the tags or dung locks and sell 

 them separately so that no allowance need be made 

 for them in estimating the value of the fleeces. 



The shearing machine has almost altogether super- 

 seded the hand shears. It is much easier for the 

 shearer and, except on very wrinkly or heavy folded 

 Merinos, is much faster. Machine shearing also , 

 makes it possible to cut closer to the skin and thus 

 get more wool as well as having a smoother looking 

 sheep than is turned out by any but the most care- 

 ful hand shearers. The hand-power machine is not 

 expensive and unless more than 100 sheep are kept, 

 a power machine is not likely to be economical, 

 though it is wholly practical for a number of sheep 

 owners to combine in buying a power shearing outfit 

 for their joint use and perhaps for shearing for other 

 owners. 



The accompanying figures (Figs. 37-47, Pis. 

 XV-XX) show one expert's way of taking off a, fleece 

 and his way of handling his sheep. There is great 

 variation in the way good shearers commence on a 

 sheep and in the way they go from one part of the 

 body to the other. The system shown in the illus- 

 trations leaves the fleece in good condition and calls 

 for a minimum of handling of the sheep. 



Tying the fleece. — Special types of boxes were 



