Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-06-23
Against sheen Washing.

In the DAYS Of fathers, they praciiced the clean
sing Of wool while 10 renamed upon the sleeps
back. In those days, as the fleece wac of, IL
was dcly red up to the mother and daughters
10 be first wrought into rolls by the hand card
upon The knee, or more subsequently this labor
was performed BY machinery. ihe larmer made
his own cloth but now we sell the wool we
produce. 10 be handed over 10 the manufacturer.
snd therefore can wisely dispense with the un
pleasant task Of rolling oar sheep about IN the
water, to wash the coats upon their backs. sub
hitting them and their off pnng in many cases
TO the exposure and risk Of life while lasting
injuries are frequently contracted by the men
who are thus exposed TO the cold elements OF a
sheep washing.
This race OF animals are not constituted to be
exposed 20 wet unlike most others, and siudious-
" avoid walking through, or standing IN the wa
ter, though ever so little.
The dense fleece supplied with animal OIL wise
Nature has very necessarily provided them to
protect them in the cold and shelter them dur
ing the storm. Pour six quarts OF cold water
along the back Of a sheep immediately stteI
being shorn, and he viii die. As we view IT, II
would be consistent. and more 80, to lead at
army Of soldiers into the water one by one, to
wash their clothes while remaining upon them
as TO partly cleanse fleece OF wool while grow
ing upon these very lnnocent animals.
For the last three years. we have dispensed
with washing our wool upon the sheep, the man
ufacturer deductlng one fourth, or more, 10 make
It equal 10 the average OF washed fleece wool
And We freely give It as our opinion, that the
habit OF sheep washing will not be continued
through another generation Last season, and
the year previous, we imported large number
of sheep from France, Of the pure Nerino stock
Tn. Of th..u, ruustdaraila Tint "a.
do not care about undergoing the risk of healu
md life, nor the continuance OF the unnecessa
ry and disagreeable habit Of plungng them int
the water every spring to partly cleanse th
fleece, lnasmuch as il does not save the manu-
tacturers the repeated task of more thorough
cleansing. In fact, these imported sh, ep arr
so large aud strong 1t would be attended witt
great difficulty aud fatigue to handle them ~ IN
water These reasons, which we have her
presented, are sufficient in our minds, to eX
plain why we do not pay our annual tax by con
tinuing the habit Of soaking ourselves and on
valuable sheep, simply for the purpose Of par
tally wa-bng the fleece.
Allow me here to say, there is a bounty offer
ed. and has been for some years, to those witt
half wash their wool, or let It run three or fou
weeks before 1t is shorn after washing it to oh
tain weight. Those who make this practc
will receive as much or within a cent or tw
per pound for their wool as il is--as their yer
conscientious neighbor, who is more careful I
put up he wool in a clean state.
s. w. JEwETT.
4 Thing 'ohich every Fdrmsr should Knop.-
II you wish to drive cut nail into seasoned on
timber, and not to have 1t break OF bend. ia,
have a small quantity of oil near by aud dip tn
nsll before driving, and it will never fail to 90
In mending carts and poughs this is of great ad
vantage for they are generally made of oak wooc
In Strengthening old nails let it be done on wool
aud with easy blows. If done on iron they ar
sure tn brask