The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-05-15
Washing Sheep.

Washing Sheep.
Much has been said and written on
the comparative profits OF washing
sheep aud steering in the dirt. The
question is usually confined entirely to
the profit to be derived from the sale Of
the fleece; the morality Of the practice
being lett entirely out Of the discussion
When anything is said in regard to the
cruelty OF immersing the animals in
water 80 much colder than the natural
temperature of the blood, the only
point spoken OF ia whether the absorp-
ton OF animal heat. sufficient TO
evsporste the large quantity of water
left necessarily in the fleece, is or is
not injurious to the health of the
sheep. The large drain on the health
of the strength must produce loss Of
flesh, and therefore an undetermined
loss of capital or profit. Yet there is
another view of the matter usually lost
sight OF, from which point stock owners
might be judged guilty Of deliberate,
wantou cruelty to animals. The man
who would consider it the height OF
cruelty to leave his cattle in an expos
ed field during a cold, clustering wins
ter's day and night, or even longer does
not hesitate to put whole flock o.
sheep, young and old, ewes often with
lambs not a week old, into q cold run
ming stream Of water, and keep them
there until thoroughly chill
ed, and then turn them
into an exposed pasture to dry off
which they will do usually in a day or
two. The only difference between the
two is that water will carry off animal
heat faster from the sheep, than the all
will from the cattle. Either practice
would justify prosecution by Mr.
Bergh. This certainly is not pleas
ant view OF the case, but is it not otter
a true one2 There are solid induce.
ments offered by buyers, for fleece
washed wool. The usual practice is tc
pay only two-thlrds as much for un'
washed as for washed fleeces; which II
probably more difference than there
really is. Herein lies the temptation
to the practice OF washing wool on TIT
sheep. There !. q net cash gain in 81
doing, and money is as tempting Il
farmers as 10 any other class. Tit
question of cruelty to animals is Rs cas-
lily lost sight OF in preparing wool fo
market, as in training fast horses. Mon
ey is the final object, and with mos
persons is the paramount one, the COM
fort of domestic animals being almos
invariably subservisnt to pecuniary
considerations. So long as wool buy
ers pay a greater al valorem price fo
washed fleece than for unwashed, st
lspg will the majority OF farmer
wash their sheep.
A correspondent Of the Colorado Ag
riculurahst makes suggestion on thi
subject that lie worthy of consideration
1t must be promised that wool
never washed on the sheep in Colo
RADIO:
We are much in need of some NOR
profitable manner Of disposlng OF GU
wool than is afforded at present. AS
now is, for every hundred pounds O
fleece, we send to market forty pound
OF dirt. We not only pay freight o
this dirt, but we pay commission me
for selling ii. 1t is estimated tina
States wool shrinks fifty per cent. II
ACQUIRING, but Colorado wool only thlrt
to forty per cent, on account OF tn
small quantity of greese in it.
Fleece wool is sold under disadvant
ages, because the manufacturer canno
use all the different qualities in a Sin
Gle fleece, 80 that in order to get wins
he wants he must buy much that b
does not want, and take the chance
of disposing of the latter to some on
who does want it. When a man buy
in the fleece, he must not only CUES
at how much wool each fleece cor
tsins that he deos want, but also ho'
much dirt it contains, and every goo
!, buyer, after guessing as closely as posi-
: BILE, will still allow margin enough
make himself safe.
Itwould be too e1pen sive fer eac
wool grower 10 scour his own woo
even i he knew how to sort 1t. whic
is az necessary as the securing. b
an establishment OF sufficient capacl'
. 10 ,ort and scour all the woods IN tt
ne;gbborhood would doubtless be pre-
table, both TO the proprietors and !
na,rons Such an establishment wou
= r.ceiye fleece wool in sacks, sort II
different qualities from each tieec
then scour and re sack each quality
, ;tselt Such wool could be sold b