276 Sheep-Farming 



or a sprinkler, others put it on by hand, and many 

 brush the coloring into the wool or dust it in by use of 

 a large pepper box. In brushing it into the fleece, 

 the touch should be light, and in using the pepper box, 

 care should be taken to note that the dry powder 

 does not come out too freely. 



Material used for coloring. — The substances used 

 for coloring medium-wooled sheep are usually red 

 and yellow ocher, burned umber, or insect powder at 

 certain seasons. They may be used in solution or 

 applied in a semiliquid condition with water or oil. 

 The latter application may be objected to because 

 it forms a crust and makes a surface of the wool hard 

 to trim. It has been my practice to use the pepper 

 box and apply a mixture of yellow ocher and burnt 

 umber. It should be used lightly, thereby giving a 

 natural tint to the wool. In using a pepper box, it 

 is necessary to observe that the wool is very dry; 

 otherwise, if the coloring matter drops too heavily 

 on any spot, it makes an unsightly blemish that 

 cannot be blended with the rest. Another system 

 of coloring medium-wooled sheep consists in the 

 application of lamp black and palm oil. It should 

 be rubbed on gently with the palm of the hand, care 

 being taken not to make the application too dark. 

 An emulsion of Irish moss and olive oil is also ex- 

 cellent dressing for Southdowns. Steep the moss for 

 two hours, and in mixing it, proportion the oil so that 

 none of it will rise to the top. When mixed in proper 



