The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-08-17
How to put up Wool

Mr. Douglass Oliver, WOODEN manu-
facturef in Grant county, Wis, eommu-
nicates to the Lancaster Herald the fol-
lowing advice to wool growers:
.'All dry burrs which attach themselves
to wool should be exterminated from the
pastures before the sheep are turned on
them in the spring.
TAGGING.
To save wool, and add to the health
and comfort of the sheep, they should be
tagged before they are turned out to grass
In the spring. This is done by cutting
away the wool around the vent and the in-
side of the thighs. Sheep, especially
ewes which have not lambed, should be
handled carefully, and laid on their sides
while the operation is performed.
TIME AND MODE OF WASHING.
1t is generally held by those who have
tried it, that early spring is preferable for
washing sheep, if they can be subsequent
" housed in ease of severe storms or un-
usually cold nights. As early washing
is improper in cold climates, it is urged
that sheep should be shorn unwashed. -
This is question upon which sheep grow
ers should be allowed to exercise their
own judgment, nor should any buyer at
tempt to compel washing, or to take ad-
vantage of its omission by insisting upon
a particular aud fixed rate of shrinking
on unwashed woods, The shrinkage on
every lot should be proportioned to its ac-
tual condition, as deduction is made on
wheat and other products, or on foreign
woods which contain impurities.
CUTTING HooFs.
Merino sheep generally require to have
their feet trimmed at least once year.
Some do this at washing, when their feet
are clean and soaked soft, others immedi-
ately after shearing.
sHEARING.
Shearing should take place when the
oily feeling matter termed yolk has so
far appeared in the wool as to give it its
natural brilliant appearance and silky
feeling. The mode of shearing cannot be
described here in detail The wool lshould
be cut off evenly and smoothly reasonably
close, but not leaving the skin bare aud
red, which renders the sheep very liable
to receive injury from the cold. "Stub-
bic shearing' and trimming" ie, leav-
ing the wool long so as to give the appear
anee of extraordinary length, or leaving
1t long in places in order to affect the ap-
parent shape Of the animal, are both
frauds.
DOING UP THE WOOL.
The fleece should be as little broken in
sheariug as possible. Itshould be gath
cred up carefully, placed upon a smooth
table inside euds down, in the exact shape
In which it comes from the sheep, and
pressed close together. If there are dung
balls, they should be removed. Fold in
each side one quarter, next the neck and
breach one quarter, aud the fleece will
then lie in an oblong square form, some
twenty inches wide and twenty-five or
thirty inches long. Then told it once
more lengthwise and it is ready to be rOOl-
cd up and tied or placed in the press
The improved wool press, worked by a
lever OF By crank, does the work far
more expedtiously, better, and with much
less labor than doing it BY hand. Three
bands of moderate sized twine, fax, or
hemp, free from all loose fibre, once
around, are enough for the fleece. 1t is
fraudulent to put the unwashed wool of
sheep that have died from disease, or of
those that have been killed, or unwashed
tags, into washed feeces. Il Is also fraud
ulene to sell buried feeces, 50 done up as
to conceal the burrs, without giving no
tice 70 the buyer. The buried wOOlshould
! be put By itself, so that the buyer can
open and examine it.
STORING WOOL.
Wool should be stored in clean, dry
room, tight enough to keep out dust, yer.
min and insects"