Ayleshj, Riby, and Rothioell Farms. 
433 
before clipping. The system of washing is somewhat elaborate. 
A tub is placed in a foldyard and about half sunk in manure to 
get its rim at a convenient height ; it is then filled with water at 
the rate of three gallons to every sheep to be washed in it, — four 
gallons for every ten sheep (or nearly half a gallon per sheep) 
being hot water in which has previously been dissolved a certain 
quantity of soft soap, the quantity used being about 1 lb. of soft 
soap for every score of sheep. Five men are employed at the tub, 
namely, two at each side and one at the end, two more having 
their time fully taken up in catching the sheep and boiling the 
water. If the work is properly done, at least one score of sheep can 
be washed per hour, and the total cost, when carefully calculated, 
seems to be \d. per sheep, including soap, the price of which is 
hd. per lb. The advantages claimed for this system are that the 
ewes are not long from the lambs, and that much wool is saved, 
especially from broken fleeces ; then the water having been ren- 
dered nearly tepid, the sheep do not chill as they do when washed 
in a pond. After washing, the sheep are turned into a foldyard, 
and there stroll about until taken back to the pastures. The 
expense of washing at the ponds is calculated to be about one- 
third less than by this system ; but the advantages of the latter 
are more than sufficient to counterbalance the additional cost. 
Originally this system was applied only to the fat sheep ; but it 
is now used for the whole of the flock. 
The sheep are shorn by a company of clippers, consisting of 
ten men, who travel from farm to farm. The price of clipping 
is 85. per score, no beer or any other allowance being given in 
addition. Clipping from twenty-five to thirty sheep is considered 
to make a day's work per man. Docking lambs is done by the 
same people at 2>d. per score. The whole of the sheep are clipped 
at Riby, and the operation gives six days' full work to ten men, 
1800 sheep being clipped, or thirty sheep per man per day. The 
work is done at two periods, namely, June 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 
for the first half, and June 8th, 9th, and 10th, for the second. 
The six or seven hundred remaining sheep, making up the 
usual 2400 or 2500, are clipped previously, as they are killed for 
the London market. Wool-winding is done at 4td. per score 
fleeces. The .fleeces of the Aylesby flock average about 7 lbs. 
each, and those of the rest about 9 lbs., or nearly three to the tod. 
The lambs are dipped at the end of June or beginning of July, 
as soon as they are taken from the ewes, by a travelling dipper, 
at a contract price of Is. Qd. per score ; and the clipped sheep are 
washed at %d. per score. 
The hoggs in the marshes are dipped in July, in accordance 
with the old plan, namely, 1 lb. arsenic and 2 lbs. soft soap, dis- 
solved in 20 gallons of water. After Christmas the lambs and 
