432 
SHEEP SHEARING. 
in squares and circles, and along the backs and sides, in 
various ways. This looks more fanciful than business-like, 
and must occupy much time to little purpose. 
In performing the o[)eration of shearing, the left side of 
the sheep is placed against the shearer’s left leg, his left foot 
at the root of the sheep’s tail, and his left knee at the sheep’s 
left shoulder. He then commences with the shears at the 
crown of the sheep’s head; his next course is to open out the 
breast and shear the belly, taking each side alternately ; then 
returning to the neck he cuts a straight line from the throat 
to the breast, and then shears the left side of the neck down 
to the shoulder ; this done he next shears a part of the left 
thigh ; he next takes the shears into his left hand, changes 
his position from left to right, or directly opposite to his first 
position, turns the sheep round, which is still sitting on its 
rump, and commences shearing the right side from neck to 
rump in equal circular strokes ” to the middle of the back, 
taking great care to stop his stroke exactly upon the spine; 
when he reaches the thigh he lays the sheep upon his side, 
puts his leg over the neck to hold him down, and then shears 
breast and tail. This done, a little wool is drawn together 
and placed so that the sheep may sit easier; he lifts it up, 
and then with the right hand shears the left side in the like 
manner. Many sheep-shearers just take the animal in the 
opposite way, and shear contrary sides first. This is imma¬ 
terial, being only from right- to left-handed as it suits the 
man best. Culley says, “ begin at the back part of the head 
so that the shears make their way down the right side of the 
neck to the middle of the breast; the head of the sheep is 
then laid over the shearer’s left knee, and, beginning at the 
breast, he clips the underside of the throat upwards to the 
left cheek ; then takes off the back of the neck, and all the 
way down below the left shoulder. He then changes to the 
contrary side, and makes his way down to the open of the 
right flank. This done, he returns to the breast, and takes off 
the belly, after which it matters not which side he clips, 
because, being able to clip with either hand, he meets his 
shear-point exactly in the middle of the back, all the way, 
until he arrives at the thighs and legs. He then places the 
sheep on its left side, and, putting his right foot over the 
neck, and the other forward to the undermost hind leg, clears 
the right side; then turning the sheep over finishes the 
whole.” 
These are the usual modes of sheep-shearing, but workmen 
often differ in their practice, according as they study expe¬ 
dition and their own convenience. The shearers ought in- 
