The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-06-01

Ihe effect produced upon root 0yEeGP"9 y,
sheep.-The condition of the animal should
be uniform from the time of one shearlng un-
til the next. If this is not the case the enect
upon the wool will be injurious for while
the sheen ia faaeninq the wool will be of a
prosser Growth, and the fibre larger; and
When it has become poor, the growth will be
less vigorous and the fibre smaller; and you
have this result, (Which will readily be dis
covered by a practical eye in examining a
feece)-two qualities of wool in the same ii
bre. 1 have seen Aocks which were we'll kept
for six months after shearing, and then run
down in flesh and remain poor until the next
shearing, when the outer end Of the staple
was one full quality in %incncss below the in-
ner end also when the animal had been
we'll kept at the beginng and end of the year,
but poorly kept and run down in the winter,
that the middle of the fibre showed the same
difference. This not only reduces the quail
ty of the wool in the stapler's scale to the low
est, coarsest grade in the fibre, but also makes
the fibre weak and tender in the fine part
grown when the animal was poor. The re-
suit of bad keeping, also, often Injuries the
health of the sheep, which in addition to the
evils spoken of gives the wool a knotty APP
pearance and a tightness near the bottom,
which materially reduce the value of the
fleece. When the condition of the sheep is
GOOD, and they continue vigorous and healthy
during the whole year, the fibre of the fleece
will be free and uniform in quality, and the
fleece heavier and more valuable than when
they are alternately changing from a high to
a low state of flesh. The fnenesS Of tie fibre
should be produced By the high blood Of the
sheep and not By p0ar keeping.
On Washing and M~earing.-Before turn
ing out to pasture in the spring the sheep
should be we'll tagged, care being taken to
remove all the locks Of wool that would be
likely to retain filth. Very carly washing
often proves injurious and especially is this
true in regard to fine wooded sheep. 1T should
be delayed until the warm weather has fully
commenced, which is usually not until June
then the water becomes sufficiently warm to
facilitate removal Of the filth from the wool.
Too early washing and shearing often ex-
pose the sheep to cold storms and the chilling
effects of cold nights without tho necessary
covering provided by nature for them while
too late shearing exposes them to the rays OF
Il hot burning sun before the new growth OF
wool has attained a sufficient length to shield
them from its effects.
The manner of washing sheep must neces-
sarily vary, for all have not equal facilities.
Pools of stagnant water should be avoided.
Better not to wash at all, than have your
tlocks poorly washed for if not washed, you
arrive at the value of the fleece compared
with clear wool by u well known and estab-
lished rule of discount. The best mode is to
use a running stream, or a vat with a stream
of water having Il fall of a few feet pouring
into it. Just previous to washing. the sheep
should be thoroughly wet without squeezing
+bo 1uoo1 oo1 c,,Goro1 70 ctnn1 oroIy1n1 tO.
gether for Il few hours, until the soapy SUBJ
stance and oil or gum, which the wool con-
tains, unite when again taken into the water
and the wool squeezed with the hands the
whole of the filth readily separates from the
wool and passes off with the running stream.
In the common mode of washing, the soapy
substance first passes out Of the ool,only par
TALLY uniting with the oil and gum, after which
it is impossible to remove the gum, no mat
ter how much time may be spent in washing.
Care should be taken to wash the fleece thor
oughly in all its parts. | have seen frauds
attempted to be perpetrated by washing the
back and sides and leaving the belly and
skirts unwashed, which in rolling up the
fleece were carefully concealed. After wash
ing, the sheep should be suffered 70 run in a
clean green sward pasture a sufficient length
of time for the wool to get dry, which is usu-
ally in four or five days, and then shearing
should commence. Very large nocks should
be divided, and the washing done at different
times, or they will run too long before being
shorn. The place assigned to the flock when
collected for shearing should be well Uttered
with straw and kept clean, so as to prevent
the filth, consequent upon their being close
together, from getting upon the wool. In
shearing, great care should be taken to keep
the fleece whole. Each clip Of the shears
should sever a part Of the wool from the sheep,
and a second clip either on that part of the
or on the part of the fleece just sew S
cred, should be avoided for clippings thus t
made are useless and a total loss. After t
shearing, the fleece should be removed to a d
table or clean smooth place on the floor, with
the inner part down then be gathered up
as compac a position rs it occupied when l
on the sheep the sides Of the fleece should L
then be folded over, so as to meet upon the Q
back of the fleece; the head and neck thrown g
back 50 as to make the fold upon the shoulder; II
fleece and continued until you reach the q
shoulder. The fleece should then be snugly a
with a small, smooth Irvine, passing u
around two or at most three times. You q
have a compact fleece, easy to open, and t
the shoulder, which is the finest part, upon t
the outside. Buyers always expect to see v
the best side out, aud wool-growcrs sometimes b
do themselves injustice by not thus exhibiting t
their ~tleeces. l do not believe that the man '
ufacturers, as a whole, in this country, are a
yet prepared to pay a sufficient advance be- 0
yond the present prices to justify the grower a
of wool in removing all of the fribs, belly Il
locks, and skirts, from the fleece, as is done a
with the fine woods of Germany. | would a
therefore at present put inside of the fleece C
all of the well washed, and clean wool shorn {
from the sheep. Carefully excluding all t
such locks as are filthy or below the residue 0
of the fleece in condition. v