The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-05-30

The manner Of washing sheep must necessari-
ly vary, for all have not equal faclhnes- Foois
of stagnant water should be avoided. better NOT
to wash at all, than have your focks poorly
washed for if not washed, you arrive at the
value of the fleece compared with clear wool
by a well known and established rule OF dis
count. The best mode is to use a running
stream, or a vat with q stream Of water having
a fail of few feet pouring into it. Just prev
ious to washing, the sheep should be thorough
" wet without squeezing the wool, and SUI
fered to stand crowded together for few
hours, until the soapy substance and oil or
gum, which the wool contains, unite when a.
gam taken into the water and the wool squeez-
ed with the hands the whole Of the filth read
ily separates from the wool and passes of with
the running stream. In the common mode OF
washing, the soapy substance first passes out 0,
the wool only partially uniting with the OIL ana
rum. after which it is impossible to remove
the rum. no matter how much time may be
spsst in washing. Care should be taken TO
wash the fleece thoroughly in all its parts. ]
have seen frauds attempted to be perpetrated
by washing the back and sides and leaving the
belly and skirts unwashcd, which in rolling up
the fleece were carefully concealed. After
washing, the sheep should be suffered to run
in a clean green sward pasture sufficient
length of time for the wool to get dry, which
is usually in four or FIVE days, and then shear
ing should commence. Very large flocks
should be divided, and the washing done at
different times, or they will run too long be-
fore being shorn. The place assigned to the
flock when collected for shearing should be well
Uttered with straw and kept clean, so as to pre-
vent 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 second clip either on that part Of the
animal, or on the part Of the fleece Just sew
cred, should be avoided for clippings thus
made are useless and a total loss. After shear.
ing the fleece should be removed to table or
clean smooth place on the floor, with the In
ner part down; then be gathered up into as
compact position as it occupied when on the
sheep: the sides Of the fleece should then be
folded over, so as to meet upon the back OF
the fleece the head and neck thrown back
so as to make the fold upon the shoulder; next
be folded or rolled from the butt of the fleece
and continued until you reach the shoulder.
The fleece should then be snugly tied with
small, smooth Irvine, passing around two, or at
most three times. You thus have a compact
fleece, easy to open, and the shoulder which IS
the finest part upon the outside. Buyers al
WAYS expect to see tho best side out, and WOOL
growers sometimes do themselves injustice by
not thus exhibiting their feeces. do not be-
lieve that the manufacturers as whole, in
this country, are yet prepared to pay suffi-
cicnt advance beyond the present prices to
Justify the grower of wool in removing all of
the f-bs, belly locks and skirts from the fleece,
rs is done with the fine woods of Germany. |
would therefore at present put inside of the
fleece all Of the well washed, and clean wool
shorn from the sheep. Carefully excluding
sll such locks as are filthy or below the resi-
due of the fleece in condition.
The position is assumed by some and with a
degree of plausibility that, were a large pro-
portion OF the wool growers to turn their at
ention to the growth of fine wool the market
would be overstocked and consequently prices
lecline but we live in an age of Improvement
the tendency of all things is onward. The
Yoollen manufacturers of this country by rea-
on Of their enterprise, skill and long expert
,nce, and the improvements in machinery are
'apidly progressing towards that state of per-
ection in their goods which will enable them
lfacturer. This will lead to continually in
:ressing demand for such qualities of wool as
are adapted to the making of fine cloths and
other su perior fabrics. The process of rails
ing the standard ofthe character of a low grade
dock, is slow and tedious; and have no doubt
that there are wool growers here who will adj
NIT that after quarter of a century spent in
trying the various improvements suggested
within that time, that they are only approxini-
ating towards that high degree Of excellence
in their focks as whole, which is to be found
in some of the choice focks of Europe. A
gain, the causes operating TO continue the
growth of low and medium grades of wool in
this country are SO numerous, and the sup
plies of coarse wool, but not of fine, which will
flow in upon US from other coun-
tries, will remove all apprehension OF danger
that the relative supply of each will be so
changed us to depreciatc the price Of fine
wool.