The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-04-13
Shearing and Preparing Wool.

Shearing and Preparing Wool.
The flock manager who has failed TO
keep his work well in hand will find
little opportunity for retrieving his adj.
vantage until the clip is safely housed
or on its wav to market. So closely
does the necessity for shearing follow
the labors incident to Landing time,
that nothing short of good management
which in this case largely means fore
sight and preparation IN ddcdnce-will
insure exemption from confusion and
loss. No exception 10 this rule will be
found among wool-growing fiOcks-as
the latitude which admits of early
lambing brings with its advancing sum-
mer the necessity for early shearing-
while the thrift of both old and young
animals depends in no small degree up
on the advantage afforded them by ac-
cess to early summer pasture, and re-
spite from the trials which spring in
evitably brings.
A date for shearing cannot be arbi-
trarily fixed. Not only must it vary
in different localities, but the condition
of the weather will render a variation
necessary in the same locality. 1t is
not only unkind TO deprive the flock of
its covering when the chilly winds of a
tardv spring will force the suffering
animals from the pasture to the lee-side
of some w%indbreak, but it is decidedly
Improbable. Hard colds and resultant
unthrift are sure to follow. On the
other hand, an uncommOnly forward
season may render it advisable to an
| ficinofa tba ncnal choarinr fin,o nc tho
heavy tleeces which all seek to grow,
and which a large proportion of flock
owners nov secure, become as uncom-
Portable to the animvls bearing them as
the heavy winter OvercOat would be for
the shepherds. The only safe rule for
the tlock-manager is to be ready for
either emergency-untimely heat or
cold-and vary his shcaring in accord
ance herewith, as near as may be.
AS to the manner of she airing, there
should be but one rule; perform the
work well, and as eXpeditiously as due
regard for its t~horoughness will admit
of. There is a vast amount of "botch"
work done BY the average sheep-shear-
er. Many who can do good work
when they make the effort, are encour-
aged to become careless by the quite
common practice of paying an arbitra-
~ price for each fleece taken off, with
out regard to the amoun of wool or
the character of animal from which it
is taken. Even in the best wool-grow-
ing flocks, there will be found a wide
difference i'll the shearing qualities of
different animals, such as the peculiar
ity and number of wrinkles, the densi-
ty of fleece, as well as the amount of
trimming required for properly clean
ing the head and legs. To expect the
professional shearer will take care to
turn of all equally good job with ami
mails thus differing, whel he gets the
same pay for each, requires more faith
in the average of humanity than seems
warranted by experience in past years.
The fact is recognized that it is one
thing to theorize Oh the subject, but
quite another thing to remedy the evils
pointed out. 1t is true that, in many
localities, the demand for shearers is
so well up to or ahead of the supply,
that very little option is left with the
ilock-owner, who is compelled to ac-
cept such help rs comes TO him, dictat-
ing its W terms. But,even under these
circumstanc IS, lie is not entirely help
less. A careful oversight of the shear
ing-fioor, with substantial recognition
of superior workmen, by compliments
and rewards of extra pay, and, in eX-
IRENE cases, the public reprimand and
discharge OF a man who manifests
neither inclination nor ability for per-
forming reasonably good work, will
go a long way in the direction of Sc
curing reform.
Equally important, with proper
shearing, so far as the sale of wool is
concerned, is honest aud workmanlike
manipulation of ~fleeces. Henest, i'm
so far as they shall carry with them
nothing that the buyer, who under
stands his business, may not, with rea-
son, expect to find there; workman
like, in so far that every part of the
fleece shall be in its proper place,
rolled so as to make a good appear
ance, and wrapped and tied so rs Ia
stand such handling as ii is likely ia
be subjected to before reaching its III
innate destination, the sorter's table
in the wooden mill. Every mar who
raises wool for market owes il to him
self to put his clip in the most present.
able condition. To this end, each
fleece should be pressed together as
closely as when upon the sleeps body,
and after being properly adjusted, so
rolled as TO show only the inner sur.
face, and thus tied with enough stoui
Irvine 10 hold il under every possible
treatment. A vast deal of mOralizine
has been devoted to bringing about
so-called "refOrms" in tying wool
most of it volunteered by men who
.AwLa 1900. n L., -. -
! and who seize upon every pretext fol