SHEEP. 91 
following directions from the American Shepherd* are ccrrect, 
and are as plain, perhaps, as they can be made: 
“*The shearer may place the sheep on that part of the floor 
assigned to him, resting on its rump, and himself in a posture 
with one (his. right) knee on a cushion, and the back of the animal 
resting against his left thigh. He grasps the shears about half- 
way from the point to the bow, resting his thumb along the 
blade, which affords him better command of the points. He 
may then commence cutting the wool at the brisket, and pro- 
ceeding downward, all upon the sides of the belly to the ex- 
tremity of the ribs, the external sides of both thighs to the 
edges of the flanks;.then back to the brisket, and thence up- 
ward, shearing the wool from the breast, front, and both sides 
of the neck—but not yet the back of it—and also the poll or 
fore-part, and top of the head. Now.the “‘jacket is opened” of 
the sheep, and its position and that of the shearer is changed, by 
being turned flat upon its side, one knee of the shearer resting 
on the cushion, and the other gently pressing the fore-quarter 
of the animal, to prevent any struggling. He then resumes 
cutting upon the flank and rump, and thence onward to the 
head. Thus one side is complete. The sheep is then turned 
on to the other side, in doing which great care is requisite to 
prevent the fleece from being torn, and the shearer acts as upon 
the other, which finishes. He must then take his sheep near 
to the door through which it is to pass out, and neatly trim 
the legs, and leave not a solitary lock anywhere as a harbor 
for ticks. It is absolutely necessary for him to remove from 
his stand to trim, otherwise the useless stuff from the legs be- 
comes intermingled with the fleece wool. In the use of the 
shears, let the blades be laid as flat to the skin as possible, not 
lower the points too much, nor cut more than from one to two 
inches at a clip, frequently not so much, depending on the part 
and compactness of the wool.’ 
“ Cold storms sometimes destroy sheep, in this latitude, soon 
* Pages 179, 180. 
