Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-08-26
[coNTINUED.]

To remove all objections against creased
woods, | would recommend the same man.
ner Of washing sheep in tubs with warm wa
ter. as is pract!sed in Sweden 1t would be
desirable thar tbs Spanish and mixed leeds
Of sheep were also washed IN this way, be
cause ii is not possible to cleanse the fleece
BY the usual practice of immersion IN rlv-
or, without keeping the animal long time
in the water, and thereby endangcrmg its
health. Indeed, do not think the Spanish
Aeeces can be cleansed by the usual mode oil
washing, on account d The closcness OF the
pile. Were tbs Spanish sheep in this conn-
nv washed before shearlng as clean as the
English, the value oitheir woolwould be bet.
ter ascertaned by the wool buyer, and a
more general competition of purchasers
would always ensure a fair price Tor the ar
tirlc.
The extra labor required to wash sheep in
tubs with warm water, and lees or soda,
would, appfehend, be amply repaid, were
the water Of the fist and second washings
carried out and applied as manure. The
quantity Of rich animal soap it would con,
tain, mus; make j, one of the most fertIlz
ing applications which could possibly be
used. Tbs creased wool would require a
greater quantity of soda 10 cleanse it, than
that of the Spanish OF mixed breeds, where
no ointment had been applied | shall an
mex BARON Schullz's account of the Swedish
manner of washing sheep: I think some
improvements upon it will suggest them
selves to the intelligent wool grower.
$ Before the shearing, the wool with us
is almost universalIy washed upon the sheep.
Some persons wash their sheep in the open
sea, or in running water, but this is never
so clean, as when the sheep are FIST washed
in large tub, with one part clear lee, two
parts luheW arm water, with small quaint
ty of urine and then in another tub, with
less lee iii the water after which the sheep
are washed, laying them always on their
back, with their heads up, in tub with
clean water; and lastly, there is poured on
the sheep, standing on the ground, suth-
cient quantity of water, which is as much as
possible squeezed out of the wool. The
sheep are afterwards driven into an unpas-
tured adjoining meadow and remain there
Go preuent their soiling themselves in a
sheep house) a day and night, not only till
they be dry, which in good dry weather
happens within the third day, but also il
bad weather does not threaten some da,s
longer. Some persons wash their sheep
twice, which also once tried, but the wool
became rouyher III consequence of it, and
in fact OF greyer appearance. The great
quantity OF grease which the finest Spanish
wool contains at the first washing, mixes
with lee water, and makes it quite soft and
soapy; but this grease is wanting in the Sc
cond washing, 50 that the water is not the
least softened. 1.-THE FIRST washing be well
performed the woolis by that means SIEVE :
raj per cent cleaner than the foreign wool
that is imported, which has not been wash.
ed after the shearing."
The following table will offer statement
Of the quantity ofneat wool contained in e
very hundred pound, in 1.-The average state Of
each sort. Accidental variations, from on:
to 10 Id. per cent. may sometimes be found;
but the general results will not vary much
from the quantities here given.