Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-05-07
Shall we Wash our Sheep?

The PaTumpsic Farmers Club have
been discussing this question: and what the
members said, as reported in the Vermont
Farmer, is so expressive of general expert
ence, we think, that it is well to open the
discussion among shepherds by publishing
it:
j. p Foster-I am opposed to washing
1t Injuries the sheep and the men who wash
them but as long as buyers offer pre-
MUM for dirt we shall be tempted to wash
If buyers would pay strictly according to
cleanliness and careful packing, no such
temptation would exist. | carried two
small lots Of wool to buyer, both washed
one well washed and nicely put up, and the
other washed lightly, aud manufacturers
said there was full five cents per pound diff
ference still each lot was sold to the same
man and at the same price. l believe that
no farmer should wash his sheep. We could
shear one month earlier without washing,
with greater safety for the sheep Buyers
make one-fourth difference between washed
and unwashed wool. Poor sheep are near
y spoiled by driving to washing place and
back, carrying the weight Of water in the
wool. 1t is much better to shear before
the sheep leave the barn. la shearing late
VIC lose much of the wool. | once sheared
in June There had been some very hot
weather, but few days after shearing it
came on very cold, and | lost two, and a
neighbor seven, from the cold. Manufac-
turers prefer to buy unwashed wool.
4 a. /
wash | find get no more for well washed
wool, than those do who but half wash. |
think we should none Of us wash, then the
price of wool would be more uniform.
j. G. Lawrence-There is great differ
ence in unwashed wool as much as be.
tween ordinary and well washed. 1t is
very difficult to make an even thing Of this
wool business Those who wash and shear
late lose in wool what the bushes in the pas
ture pull from the sheep Should we all
adopt the plan Of not washing, we would
get nearer the true value for our wool than
now. think we should encourage all the
farmers to dispense with washing.
J. Morrison-I wash my sheep. get
more money to wash than not to- | wash
clean, put up well and get fair price fol
my wool. 1 do not think it hurts sheer
very much to wash them. Always keeI
them under cover in stormy weather.
j Dow--l find | get the most money
for my wool when half wash, and the
least when do not wash at all. The met
who buy the wool are not judges they
pay so much for washed and so much fol-
unwashed, and often buy without looking
at the wool at all. If we get any advant
age of the manufacturer we are smart
that's all. believe there is nothing to b.
gained in the long run by washing. W.
should all wash or none. | think we hat
better discard washing entirely.
r. p. Harvey-Does it pay to wash
Sheep Coarse wool sheep poorly washed
may give better returns than unwashed, il
we let them run two or three weeks after
being washed, and let them roll in the sane
and dirt as they will when they can find it
The great trouble is the entire Ignorance
of the buyers. They cannot tell half o
the time whether the wool is washed or not
Tho manufacturer has nothing to do witt
the buying only to make the price, and b.
is careful to make it low enough for al
the poor washing, and if his buyer finds poo
washed wool the price is all right, and if b,
finds well washed wool it is his good luck
and so much in his favor. sorted WOO
ten years in fIctory, and know how tn,
wool is bought and handled.
A. Warden-Fo three years past hnv
not washed my sheep get better return
than when washed. | shear the last o
April before the sheep leave the barn. B.
shearing early we get rid Of the ticks tina
are often troublesome to the sheep. If
few have gone from the sheep to the lambs
little snuff will kill them. believe bot
sheep and lambs do better than when
washed and sheared late. Often the stocl
will lose as much wool as the discount tina
is made by the buyers between washed an
unwashed wool.