Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1875-10-12
agricultural.
The nay to Shear sheep.


Ia the first place, produce a pair Of
shears that viii retain sharp edge after
the blades are put in proper order. No
man can shear at AL satisfactorily with
poor shears. After they are ground true
on the edge, let them be sharpened on fine
gritted oilstone. The cutting edge Of the
blades should be ground beyelling, neither
toe little nor too much. Let the beveI be
about one-third as much as the beyel on
the cutting edge of a Plaue-iron. In
opening up the neck or shoaring the belly
when It becomes necessary 20 open the
wool, let the shears be worked in gradu-
ally, cutting the wool Of an even plane
close 10 the skin until they are underneath
the wool Is FAR as they will 20 then raise
them, tearing the fece open. Thus COM
mence at the point Of the shoulder, work
In up toward, the head. This prevents
cutting the staple along the neck and
makes q better JOB. Each stroke Of the
shears should be clear and complete, and
made close 70 the body. If miScut be
made, let it 20 at that, for Il you do
leave a half inch Of WOO. at that spot,
YOU get IL next shearing, and if cut now
it viii be too short 10 be OF any use to the
manufacturer, and viii only injure in his
estimation the parcel OF wool in which il
Is discovered In >hcarins On the floor
man has better control Of his sheep. If
shoarins on a bench, catch the sheep BY
the left hind lcc,back 1t towards the bench
and ro, il over thereon; set 1t up on Its
butt, and then, MS you stand your LEFT foo:
on the bench, lay the sleeps neck across
your left knee, with his right side against
your body
Now take the two fore LEGS under your
left arm, and begin about the centre Of the
belly aud open the fleece fore and aft
Shear what would be the left side Of
the belly If the sheep were on his feet,
also the i,.t side OF the brisket Now
cut 0f all tagS from the inside Of the hind
les with O pair of old shears and shear
the brcccb as far as YOU can in this con-
dition Return to the point Of the should
er, going up under the wool with the
shears rs above described 20 the butt Of
the ear; now shear around. taking of the
fleece as al entirety and including the
forctop clear around the neck. You will
proceed thus down the left side, taking the
left fore leg by the way, and shearing
As far around the sheep as practicable
while holding It In the position described,
which will De two or three inches past the
spine. On reaching the hind leg, say
about the stife, YOU viii then insert the
shcares 30 the inside Of the hooks wool
below that point Is commonly tags and
shear around that leg back to where YOU
left off on the >tife Joint Should the
sheep persist in kicking NJ this stage. place
the palm Of your left hand on the stife
joint, which causes the leg to lie out
straight. Shear clear around 70 the
breech, or the place shorn when working
on the belly taggings and y clear around
past the tail. 50 that were the sheep stand
ing on its feet, everything on the left side
including one 70 three inches on the right
side from the spine. from head 70 tail, and
including the whole tail, shall be shorn.
Now. taking the left hind leg THE one that
IS shornl in your left hand, swing the
sheep around with It's spine directly to-
ward YOU, being careful that some of the
fleece goes under him. for MS left hip bone
which Is shorn and bare, now comes in
contact with the boards. causing him 10
lie uneasily Now return with the shears
TO the head or neck and 20 down the right
side, taking II the two legs aud right hand
side Of the brisket and belly. You may
now finish up. trimming of any tags that
may have escaped, including that wool on
the legs below the knee aud hook joints.
1t will be seen by this description that
the WOO al through the operation will
hang down aud have tendency to fall
apart. This is counteracted in greater
measure if the sheep be shorn on the floor
than on a bench, for though the same
manner Of opening up and shearing is
pursued. still, as the shearer goes down
each side, the sheep lies on the opposite
side and the distance from that point of
the fleece whence the wool Is hSnging. to
that point on the floor where it Is resting.
is not 50 great as where the sheep sits on
its rump.-N J. Herald.