SHEEP SHEARING. 
431 
convenience this great tub is let a foot or two into the 
ground, by which the sheep are more easily lifted in. This 
course takes a considerable time, but every sheep may be 
carefully and properly washed by the process, for which the 
wool will amply repay the extra trouble and cost. The sheep 
should not be shorn for several days after washing. The 
warmth and sweating of the sheep after washing improves 
the wool and restores the yolk.^^ They should not be per¬ 
mitted to travel over dusty roads, or lay about in dirty gate¬ 
ways or sheep-folds; in fact, the wool ought to be kept clean 
and bright throughout. It is very desirable to choose mild, 
but not hot weather for sheep-shearing. If the weather is 
cold, sheep are apt to take harm from any little injury done 
by the shears to the skin. Swelling and gangrene will some¬ 
times take place in showery weather. If the season is hot 
and sunny,’^ flies are very troublesome, often causing much 
irritation, and occasionally serious loss from inflammation in 
rainy weather. In all woodland districts it is desirable to 
shear the flocks early in the season, in order to prevent in. 
jury from fly-galls. The little black flies are their greatest 
enemies, and swarm upon and around every “^snip^^ in great 
numbers. It is of great importance that every snip^^ that 
is skin-cut from the shears, should be properly dressed as 
soon as the little accident occurs. For this purpose a little 
dusting with powdered quick-lime is effectual. It not only 
dries up exuding moisture in the wound, but also forms a 
thin coating over it. This dressing is preferable to a liquid 
caustic, and is so readily applied by thumb and finger from 
a pot hung up within reach of every shearer, that it ought 
to be generally adopted. 
It is a very pleasing thing to every flockmaster in looking 
over his flock to find them satisfactorily shorn. The animals 
look so much better, and it is a real pleasure to view a flock 
well shorn. It is very desirable to give every encouragement 
to sheep-shearers, and the public competition instituted in 
many districts has done much good service in this particular 
department of farm labour. It is truly a trial of skill and 
care, and not a little surprising that every stroke of the 
shears shall be exactly equi-distant, and meet at the same 
point along the back, so as to show one continuous line 
nearly all round the sheep. Some of the large Cotswolds 
and Lincoln sheep have been shown at our large meetings 
beautifully shorn, the strokesbeing about three to the 
inch, and as accurately cut as if regulated by machinery. 
Some flockmasters in the southern counties will show us 
sheep which are shorn in fastastical style, having strokes 
