The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-02-17
Sheep Pelts.

ALL wool growers have more CT less
sheep pelts to dispose of. At the present
time, it is necessary tor every wool grower
to save all his products, to utilize and
realize all he can thercfrom. Pelts acCu-
mulate in various ways. Most wool
growers kill a few fat sheep yearly, for
family use. The wool on this class of
pelts most frequently is short. Such pelts
can be advantageously sold to pelt dealers
or tanners. In fine-wool t1oCkS there are
usually some ewes too old to retain for
breeding purposes. The wool on such
ewes in the fall or early winter (the time
they are usually pelted) is Of six to seven
months growth, and will always pay to
shear or pull. Another way whereby
some shitlless breeders get large number
of pelts, is from poor keeping and bad
management, losing sheep largely when
they have nearly or quite full years
growth of wool. 1t always pays the owner
to shear or pull the wool from such pelts.
For some years the writer has practiccd
pulling his pelts rather than selling them,
which pays abundantly for the extra eX-
pcnse or time required. About the first
of the present month we slaughtered eight
| Knowing that the greatest difficulty in
either shearing or pulling pelt is around
| its edges, before slaughtering, we shear a
strip about tour inches wide up the front
| If : hn ,,only onl all an ,,-nD1 Of "a had
| and back of the ears sufficiently far to
save the wool from getting bloody; also
shear the brisket and a strip down tke
center of the belly, and the wool off of the
skin in the center of the belly in the
sheared space; and thus the edges Of the
pelt will be all right TO pull or shear, and
the wool free from lime. Just as we had
finished skinning the ewes, sheep pelt
dealer drove into the yard, and proposed
to buy the pelts at sixty-tive cents each.
Had not refused to sell, he would prob
ably have been willing to pay seventy five
cents, the regular price for similar pelts
Hoping TO benefit wool growing breth-
ren, we give our plan of practice and the
results, showing the profit of pulling over
selling the eight pelts. Prepare board
three feet wide to four feet in length, with
one smooth side; spread a pelt on the
smooth side of the board, flesh side up.
| Have mixed some lime and water, about
the consistency Of good rich cream (ime
mixture such as is suitable for plastering
or laying brick will do, but you must use
a little more Of the latter. Wood ashes
mixed with water, as with lime, will start
the wool quicker, but it frequently eats
| into the skin and makes it so tender that
the skin will tear in pulling. Spread a
thin layer or coating of the lime mixture
all over the flesh side, then fold the flesh
sides together carefully, and roll up and
lay in moderately warm place, from six
to twelve hours; the wool will then be
ready to pull. Then place the board at an
angle of, say, forty-tive degrees, unroll
the pelt, sCrape off the lime, and lay flesh
side upon the board, holding the neck in
one hand, and with the other slide OIL
push the wool off in whole fleece, which
can be easily and nicely done in ter
minutes. Then roll it up, same as il
shorn wool. Put the fleeces separately in
a dry, airy place for six or eight days, tc
let the moisture escape, that is natural tc
lately shorn wool, as well as thatabsorbed
from the use of the lime moisture. Las
year we had a similar lot of wool to thai
we now have, and sent it 10 wool man
ufacturer; their sorter valued it at forty
five cents per pound. Calling such WOO
worth thirty-tive cents this year, we ge
for the wool of each pelt 1921, OIL
S1.171s more than the highest price the
pelts would haze brought.-George Camp
| bell (N.l in Ohio Farmer.